Nonstop flight route between Lae, Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea and Selma, Alabama, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from LAE to SEM:
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- About this route
- LAE Airport Information
- SEM Airport Information
- Facts about LAE
- Facts about SEM
- Map of Nearest Airports to LAE
- List of Nearest Airports to LAE
- Map of Furthest Airports from LAE
- List of Furthest Airports from LAE
- Map of Nearest Airports to SEM
- List of Nearest Airports to SEM
- Map of Furthest Airports from SEM
- List of Furthest Airports from SEM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Lae Nadzab Airport (LAE), Lae, Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea and Craig Field (SEM), Selma, Alabama, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,562 miles (or 13,778 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 Lae Nadzab Airport and Craig Field, 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 Lae Nadzab Airport and Craig Field. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | LAE / AYNZ |
Airport Name: | Lae Nadzab Airport |
Location: | Lae, Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea |
GPS Coordinates: | 6°34'10"S by 146°43'33"E |
Operator/Owner: | Papua New Guinea Office of Civil Aviation |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 239 feet (73 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from LAE |
More Information: | LAE Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SEM / KSEM |
Airport Name: | Craig Field |
Location: | Selma, Alabama, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 32°20'38"N by 86°59'16"W |
Area Served: | Selma, Alabama |
Operator/Owner: | Craig Field Airport & Industrial Authority |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 166 feet (51 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from SEM |
More Information: | SEM Maps & Info |
Facts about Lae Nadzab Airport (LAE):
- Nadzab is located on the Erap River, 5 kilometres North of the Markham River.
- The first parachute jump for the 503rd Parachute Regiment was during the Allied paratrooper assault on 5 September 1943.
- After Lae was liberated, the United States Army built Nadzab airport and developed it into a massive airbase complex.
- Lae Nadzab Airport (LAE) currently has only 1 runway.
- Because of Lae Nadzab Airport's relatively low elevation of 239 feet, planes can take off or land at Lae Nadzab 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.
- The closest airport to Lae Nadzab Airport (LAE) is Bulolo Airport (BUL), which is located 45 miles (72 kilometers) S of LAE.
- The furthest airport from Lae Nadzab Airport (LAE) is Governador Carlos Wilson Airport (FEN), which is located 11,714 miles (18,852 kilometers) away in Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brazil.
- The airfield in Lae was operating at the same time as Nadzab but business was significantly lost to the new airport complex became fully operational in 1977.
- Between April 1943 and July 1943, the Allied Geographical Section of South West Pacific Area conducted reconnaissance after the Japanese invasion.
Facts about Craig Field (SEM):
- The closest airport to Craig Field (SEM) is Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM), which is located 35 miles (56 kilometers) E of SEM.
- The former military family housing was sold to individual owners shortly after base closure and has seen significant decay as compared to its previous military occupants.
- The furthest airport from Craig Field (SEM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,157 miles (17,955 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Craig Field (SEM) currently has only 1 runway.
- Because of Craig Field's relatively low elevation of 166 feet, planes can take off or land at Craig 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.
- Craig Field covers an area of 1,790 acres at an elevation of 166 feet above mean sea level.