Nonstop flight route between Douala, Cameroon and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Douala International Airport (DLA), Douala, Cameroon and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,330 miles (or 5,360 kilometers).

A Great Circle is the shortest distance between 2 points on a sphere. Because most world maps are flat (but the Earth is round), the route of the shortest distance between 2 points on the Earth will often appear curved when viewed on a flat map, especially for long distances. If you were to simply draw a straight line on a flat map and measure a very long distance, it would likely be much further than if you were to lay a string between those two points on a globe. Because of the large distance between Douala International Airport and Lajes Air Base, the route shown on this map most likely appears curved because of this reason.

Try it at home! Get a globe and tightly lay a string between Douala International Airport and Lajes Air Base. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Douala International Airport (DLA):

• In addition to being known as "Douala International Airport", another name for DLA is "Aéroport international de Douala".
• Because of Douala International Airport's relatively low elevation of 33 feet, planes can take off or land at Douala International Airport at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
• Douala International Airport handled 704,765 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Douala International Airport (DLA) is Limbe Airport (VCC), which is located 36 miles (58 kilometers) W of DLA.
• Douala International Airport (DLA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Douala International Airport (DLA) is Canton Island Airport (CIS), which is nearly antipodal to Douala International Airport (meaning Douala International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Canton Island Airport), and is located 12,307 miles (19,805 kilometers) away in Canton Island, Kiribati.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• By 1943, the British and American armed forces were allowed basing rights in Portugal, and the Royal Air Force took over Lajes Field as RAF Station Lajes.
• Because of Lajes Air Base's relatively low elevation of 180 feet, planes can take off or land at Lajes Air Base at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
• In August 2006, Portuguese news agencies reported that both governments were in discussions for a new agreement that could allow the use of Lajes for the training of a permanent F-22 Raptor squadron.
• The furthest airport from Lajes Air Base (TER) is Merimbula Airport (MIM), which is nearly antipodal to Lajes Air Base (meaning Lajes Air Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Merimbula Airport), and is located 12,229 miles (19,680 kilometers) away in Merimbula, New South Wales, Australia.
• In addition to being known as "Lajes Air Base", other names for TER include "Base Aérea das Lajes", "Base Aérea Nº 4" and "Aeroporto das Lajes".
• Lajes Field also played a crucial role in Cold War politics.
• The resident Portuguese 711 Squadron "Albatrozes" was deactivated on 30 November 2006.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• In 1961, the Portuguese Air Force EICAP was transferred to Lajes, operating Douglas C-47, Douglas C-54 and later CASA C-212 Aviocar.