Nonstop flight route between Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States and West Lafayette, Indiana, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from FSM to LAF:
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- About this route
- FSM Airport Information
- LAF Airport Information
- Facts about FSM
- Facts about LAF
- Map of Nearest Airports to FSM
- List of Nearest Airports to FSM
- Map of Furthest Airports from FSM
- List of Furthest Airports from FSM
- Map of Nearest Airports to LAF
- List of Nearest Airports to LAF
- Map of Furthest Airports from LAF
- List of Furthest Airports from LAF
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM), Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States and Purdue University Airport (LAF), West Lafayette, Indiana, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 536 miles (or 862 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 relatively short distance between Fort Smith Regional Airport and Purdue University Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | FSM / KFSM |
Airport Name: | Fort Smith Regional Airport |
Location: | Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 35°20'12"N by 94°22'3"W |
Area Served: | Fort Smith, Arkansas |
Operator/Owner: | Fort Smith Airport Commission |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 469 feet (143 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from FSM |
More Information: | FSM Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | LAF / KLAF |
Airport Name: | Purdue University Airport |
Location: | West Lafayette, Indiana, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 40°24'43"N by 86°56'12"W |
Area Served: | Lafayette, Indiana |
Operator/Owner: | Purdue University |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 606 feet (185 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from LAF |
More Information: | LAF Maps & Info |
Facts about Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM):
- Fort Smith Regional Airport covers an area of 1,359 acres at an elevation of 469 feet above mean sea level.
- The furthest airport from Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,765 miles (17,324 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM) has 2 runways.
- The closest airport to Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM) is Robert S. Kerr Airport (RKR), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) SSW of FSM.
- Because of Fort Smith Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 469 feet, planes can take off or land at Fort Smith Regional 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.
- Air Traffic services are provided by the Federal Aviation Administration from an Air Traffic Control Tower and TRACON.
Facts about Purdue University Airport (LAF):
- Purdue University Airport also had its own airline, Purdue Airlines in the 1960s and 1970s.
- The furthest airport from Purdue University Airport (LAF) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,148 miles (17,941 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Because of Purdue University Airport's relatively low elevation of 606 feet, planes can take off or land at Purdue University 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.
- Purdue University Airport has an FAA-staffed air traffic control tower and is the second busiest tower in Indiana.
- As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 1,959 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 1,518 enplanements in 2009, and 1,405 in 2010.
- FedEx donated a 727 to Purdue, which is taxied through the airport every once in a while.
- Purdue University Airport (LAF) has 2 runways.
- Runway 23 has a displaced threshold, which shortens the runway to 3,913 ft for landing operations.
- Purdue University Airport was the first university-owned airport in the United States.
- The closest airport to Purdue University Airport (LAF) is Kentland Municipal Airport (KKT), which is located 35 miles (57 kilometers) NW of LAF.