Nonstop flight route between Alexandria, Louisiana, United States and Santa Maria, Portugal:
Departure Airport:
(31°23'41"N by 92°17'44"W)
Arrival Airport:
(36°58'26"N by 25°10'15"W)
Distance from ESF to SMA:
3,776.74 miles (6,078.05 km)
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- About this route
- ESF Airport Information
- SMA Airport Information
- Facts about ESF
- Facts about SMA
- Map of Nearest Airports to ESF
- List of Nearest Airports to ESF
- Map of Furthest Airports from ESF
- List of Furthest Airports from ESF
- Map of Nearest Airports to SMA
- List of Nearest Airports to SMA
- Map of Furthest Airports from SMA
- List of Furthest Airports from SMA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Esler Field (ESF), Alexandria, Louisiana, United States and Santa Maria Airport (SMA), Santa Maria, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,777 miles (or 6,078 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 Esler Field and Santa Maria Airport, 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 Esler Field and Santa Maria Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | ESF / KESF |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Alexandria, Louisiana, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 31°23'41"N by 92°17'44"W |
| Area Served: | Central Louisiana |
| Airport Type: | Public / Military |
| Elevation: | 112 feet (34 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from ESF |
| More Information: | ESF Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SMA / LPAZ |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Santa Maria, Portugal |
| GPS Coordinates: | 36°58'26"N by 25°10'15"W |
| Area Served: | Vila do Porto |
| Operator/Owner: | Government of Portugal |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 308 feet (94 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SMA |
| More Information: | SMA Maps & Info |
Facts about Esler Field (ESF):
- In the 1970s, the airport had scheduled passenger airline service provided by several air carriers including Delta Air Lines which operated mainline jet aircraft from Esler.
- Esler Field (ESF) has 2 runways.
- On 1 August 1945, the airfield was again reassigned directly to Third Air Force.
- The airport covers an area of 2,161 acres at an elevation of 112 feet above mean sea level.
- After World War I in 1919 the Army had abandoned Camp Beauregard and turned the property over to the state of Louisiana, which returned it to the United States, however interest in the military utilization of Camp Beauregard increased significantly in 1939 when war began in Europe.
- While Alexandria International Airport is central Louisiana's primary airport and the leader of aviation services in the area, Esler is the area's secondary airport.
- In addition to being known as "Esler Field", another name for ESF is "Esler Regional AirportEsler Army Airfield".
- Because of Esler Field's relatively low elevation of 112 feet, planes can take off or land at Esler Field 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.
- The closest airport to Esler Field (ESF) is Alexandria International Airport (AEX), which is located only 16 miles (25 kilometers) WSW of ESF.
- The furthest airport from Esler Field (ESF) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 10,988 miles (17,683 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
- Construction of the airport, originally called Camp Beauregard Army Field, for the United States Army Air Corps began in 1940.
Facts about Santa Maria Airport (SMA):
- Because of Santa Maria Airport's relatively low elevation of 308 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Maria 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.
- Santa Maria Airport (SMA) currently has only 1 runway.
- The forerunner of SATA Air Açores initiated services concurrently to São Miguel and Terceira from Santa Maria Airport on 5 August 1947, using a plane christened "Açor".
- In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Airport", another name for SMA is "Aeroporto de Santa Maria".
- The furthest airport from Santa Maria Airport (SMA) is Moruya Airport (MYA), which is nearly antipodal to Santa Maria Airport (meaning Santa Maria Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Moruya Airport), and is located 12,166 miles (19,579 kilometers) away in Moruya, New South Wales, Australia.
- Santa Maria Airport handled 93,436 passengers last year.
- The closest airport to Santa Maria Airport (SMA) is João Paulo II Airport (PDL), which is located 60 miles (97 kilometers) NNW of SMA.
- For a while, Air France's supersonic Concordes were routed to Santa Maria on refueling layovers between Paris and Caracas.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 15.63 miles (25.15 km) WSW | Alexandria International Airport (AEX) | Alexandria, Louisiana, United States |     |
| 2 | 58.97 miles (94.90 km) SSE | St. Landry Parish Airport (OPL) | Opelousas, Louisiana, United States | |
| 3 | 60.74 miles (97.74 km) ENE | Natchez–Adams County Airport (HEZ) | Natchez, Mississippi, United States | |
| 4 | 67.27 miles (108.26 km) SE | False River Regional Airport (HZR) | New Roads, Louisiana, United States | |
| 5 | 73.01 miles (117.49 km) WSW | Beauregard Regional AirportDeRidder Army Air Base (DRI) | De Ridder, Louisiana, United States | |
| 6 | 78.57 miles (126.44 km) N | Monroe Regional Airport (MLU) | Monroe, Louisiana, United States | |
| 7 | 79.24 miles (127.53 km) NNW | Ruston Regional Airport (RSN) | Ruston, Louisiana, United States | |
| 8 | 84.21 miles (135.53 km) SSE | Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT) | Lafayette, Louisiana, United States | |
| 9 | 90.32 miles (145.35 km) SE | Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (BTR) | Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States | |
| 10 | 96.05 miles (154.57 km) SSW | Chennault International Airport (CWF) | Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States | |
| 11 | 96.91 miles (155.97 km) SSE | Acadiana Regional Airport (ARA) | New Iberia, Louisiana, United States | |
| 12 | 103.53 miles (166.62 km) SSW | Lake Charles Regional Airport (LCH) | Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States | |
| 13 | 108.73 miles (174.98 km) E | McComb-Pike County Airport (MCB) | McComb, Mississippi, United States | |
| 14 | 110.78 miles (178.28 km) NW | Barksdale Air Force Base (BAD) | Bossier City, Louisiana, United States | |
| 15 | 115.44 miles (185.79 km) NW | Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV) | Shreveport, Louisiana, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10,988.02 miles (17,683.45 km) SSW | Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK) | Cocos Islands, Australia | |
| 2 | 10,838.42 miles (17,442.70 km) WSW | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 3 | 10,826.70 miles (17,423.85 km) W | Shark Bay Airport (MJK) | Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 4 | 10,824.18 miles (17,419.78 km) W | Kalbarri Airport (KAX) | Kalbarri, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 5 | 10,820.69 miles (17,414.16 km) WSW | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 6 | 10,816.81 miles (17,407.93 km) W | Jurien Bay Airport (JUR) | Jurien Bay, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 10,816.68 miles (17,407.72 km) W | Geraldton Airport (GET) | Geraldton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 10,804.48 miles (17,388.08 km) W | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 10,803.84 miles (17,387.06 km) WSW | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 10,796.32 miles (17,374.96 km) W | Carnarvon Airport (CVQ) | Carnarvon, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 10,785.24 miles (17,357.12 km) W | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 10,779.41 miles (17,347.73 km) WSW | Manjimup Airport (MJP) | Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 10,779.09 miles (17,347.22 km) W | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 14 | 10,763.71 miles (17,322.48 km) W | Mullewa Airport (MXU) | Mullewa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 10,745.33 miles (17,292.90 km) W | Morawa Airport (MWB) | Morawa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 60.44 miles (97.26 km) NNW | João Paulo II Airport (PDL) | Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal | |
| 2 | 161.94 miles (260.61 km) NW | Lajes Air Base (TER) | Lajes, Azores, Portugal | |
| 3 | 209.34 miles (336.90 km) WNW | Pico Airport (PIX) | Pico Island, Azores, Portugal | |
| 4 | 213.54 miles (343.67 km) NW | Graciosa Airport (GRW) | Graciosa Island, Azores, Portugal | |
| 5 | 221.17 miles (355.94 km) WNW | Horta International Airport (HOR) | Horta, Azores, Portugal | |
| 6 | 366.19 miles (589.32 km) WNW | Flores Airport (FLW) | Flores Island, Azores, Portugal | |
| 7 | 371.97 miles (598.63 km) WNW | Corvo Airport (CVU) | Corvo Island, Azores, Portugal | |
| 8 | 560.01 miles (901.25 km) ESE | Madeira Airport (FNC) | Funchal, Madeira, Portugal | |
| 9 | 566.98 miles (912.46 km) ESE | Porto Santo Airport (PXO) | Porto Santo, Madeira, Portugal | |
| 10 | 719.25 miles (1,157.51 km) SE | La Palma Airport (SPC) | La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| 11 | 771.87 miles (1,242.20 km) SE | La Gomera Airport (GMZ) | Alajeró / San Sebastián, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| 12 | 778.68 miles (1,253.16 km) SE | Tenerife North Airport (TFN) | Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| 13 | 793.97 miles (1,277.77 km) SE | Tenerife-South Airport (TFS) | Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| 14 | 844.99 miles (1,359.87 km) SE | Gran Canaria Airport (LPA) | Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| 15 | 869.00 miles (1,398.51 km) SE | Lanzarote Airport (ACE) | Arrecife, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,166.03 miles (19,579.28 km) ESE | Moruya Airport (MYA) | Moruya, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 2 | 12,164.68 miles (19,577.11 km) E | Merimbula Airport (MIM) | Merimbula, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 3 | 12,155.61 miles (19,562.50 km) SE | Illawarra Regional Airport (WOL) | Shellharbour, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 4 | 12,143.59 miles (19,543.17 km) SE | Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport (SYD) | Mascot (near Sydney), Australia | |
| 5 | 12,135.02 miles (19,529.37 km) SE | Bankstown Airport (BWU) | Bankstown (near Sydney), New South Wales, Australia | |
| 6 | 12,128.04 miles (19,518.13 km) SE | Camden Aerodrome (CDU) | Camden, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 7 | 12,113.81 miles (19,495.24 km) ESE | Goulburn Airport (GUL) | Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 8 | 12,112.40 miles (19,492.97 km) SE | Belmont Airport (BEO) | Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 9 | 12,102.07 miles (19,476.35 km) ESE | Canberra Airport (CBR) | Canberra, Australia | |
| 10 | 12,101.93 miles (19,476.12 km) SSE | Newcastle Airport (NTL) | Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 11 | 12,086.58 miles (19,451.41 km) SE | Cessnock Airport (CES) | Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 12 | 12,086.22 miles (19,450.83 km) SSE | Maitland Airport (MTL) | Maitland, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 13 | 12,054.69 miles (19,400.10 km) SE | Bathurst Airport (BHS) | Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 14 | 12,047.90 miles (19,389.17 km) E | Corryong Airport (CYG) | Corryong, Victoria, Australia | |
| 15 | 12,038.04 miles (19,373.30 km) SSE | Port Macquarie Airport (PQQ) | Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia | |