Nonstop flight route between Lafayette, Louisiana, United States and Des Moines, Iowa, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from LFT to DSM:
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- About this route
- LFT Airport Information
- DSM Airport Information
- Facts about LFT
- Facts about DSM
- Map of Nearest Airports to LFT
- List of Nearest Airports to LFT
- Map of Furthest Airports from LFT
- List of Furthest Airports from LFT
- Map of Nearest Airports to DSM
- List of Nearest Airports to DSM
- Map of Furthest Airports from DSM
- List of Furthest Airports from DSM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT), Lafayette, Louisiana, United States and Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, Iowa, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 788 miles (or 1,269 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 Lafayette Regional Airport and Des Moines International Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | LFT / KLFT |
Airport Name: | Lafayette Regional Airport |
Location: | Lafayette, Louisiana, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 30°12'19"N by 91°59'14"W |
Area Served: | Lafayette, Louisiana |
Operator/Owner: | City & Parish of Lafayette |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 42 feet (13 meters) |
# of Runways: | 3 |
View all routes: | Routes from LFT |
More Information: | LFT Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | DSM / KDSM |
Airport Name: | Des Moines International Airport |
Location: | Des Moines, Iowa, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 41°32'2"N by 93°39'47"W |
Area Served: | Des Moines, Iowa |
Operator/Owner: | City of Des Moines |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 958 feet (292 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from DSM |
More Information: | DSM Maps & Info |
Facts about Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT):
- Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT) has 3 runways.
- Because of Lafayette Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 42 feet, planes can take off or land at Lafayette 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.
- The furthest airport from Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 11,070 miles (17,815 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
- United Airlines has announced new daily nonstop service to Denver from the airport effective August 19, 2014.
- The three airlines at Lafayette, American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express, now use regional jets, although Delta has announced it will begin mainline service nonstop to Atlanta on July 3, 2014 using the Boeing 717 jetliner.
- The closest airport to Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT) is Acadiana Regional Airport (ARA), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) SSE of LFT.
- Several independent commuter airlines served Lafayette over the years as well.
Facts about Des Moines International Airport (DSM):
- The closest airport to Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Ankeny Regional Airport (IKV), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) NNE of DSM.
- Des Moines International Airport (DSM) has 2 runways.
- In 2012, the airport had 1,038,484 enplanementsFederal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 919,990 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 853,596 in 2009 and 932,828 in 2011.
- This airport is in in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which called it a primary commercial service airport.
- On December 1, 2007, a United Express plane carrying 44 passengers slid off a taxiway while taxiing to the runway for takeoff.
- Because of Des Moines International Airport's relatively low elevation of 958 feet, planes can take off or land at Des Moines 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.
- Interior renovation work began in 2009 on the airport and concluded in 2010.
- The furthest airport from Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,789 miles (17,363 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Des Moines International Airport covers 2,625 acres at an elevation of 958 feet above mean sea level.
- During the 1920s the Des Moines area had several small private airports for general aviation and airmail.