Nonstop flight route between Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sulaimaniyah International Airport (ISU), Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,885 miles (or 6,252 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 Sulaimaniyah 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 Sulaimaniyah 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 Sulaimaniyah International Airport (ISU):

• The furthest airport from Sulaimaniyah International Airport (ISU) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,575 miles (18,628 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• Sulaimaniyah International Airport (ISU) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Sulaimaniyah International Airport", other names for ISU include "Firokaxaney Nawdewletî Silêmanî" and "مطار السليمانية الدولي".
• The closest airport to Sulaimaniyah International Airport (ISU) is Erbil International Airport (EBL), which is located 89 miles (143 kilometers) WNW of ISU.
• Because of Sulaimaniyah International Airport's relatively low elevation of 760 feet, planes can take off or land at Sulaimaniyah 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.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• In the summer of 1984, Lajes undertook a new mission known as "SILK PURSE." Boeing EC-135s began operating out of Lajes Field as an airborne command post for the U.S.
• 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.
• Another important Cold War operation at Lajes was the U.S.
• 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.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• 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.
• Lajes Field was one of the two stopover and refueling bases for the first transatlantic crossing of non-rigid airships in 1944.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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".