Nonstop flight route between Maloelap Atoll, Marshall Islands and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Kaben Airport (KBT), Maloelap Atoll, Marshall Islands and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,948 miles (or 14,400 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 Kaben 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 Kaben 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 Kaben Airport (KBT):

• Kaben is a small island, no more than 2.5 kilometers long and a kilometer across.
• Because of Kaben Airport's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Kaben 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.
• Historically, the island has been claimed by the Iroij, royalty of the islands, as their personal property prohibiting peasant islanders from fishing the island's waters.
• The closest airport to Kaben Airport (KBT) is Maloelap Airport (MAV), which is located 29 miles (47 kilometers) ESE of KBT.
• The furthest airport from Kaben Airport (KBT) is RAF Ascension (ASI), which is nearly antipodal to Kaben Airport (meaning Kaben Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from RAF Ascension), and is located 12,073 miles (19,430 kilometers) away in Georgetown, Ascension Island, Saint Helena.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• The Portuguese Air Force continues to operate one SAR squadron Esq.
• 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 Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• Lajes Field was one of the two stopover and refueling bases for the first transatlantic crossing of non-rigid airships in 1944.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• The base also supports other NATO and non-NATO armed forces assets crossing the Atlantic for transport, VIP, exercise, relief or humanitarian duties.
• On January 31, 1951, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster operated by the Portuguese Air Force crashed into the sea while approaching Lajes Field, having taken off from Lisbon, Portugal, killing all 14 on board.
• 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.