Nonstop flight route between Lagos, Nigeria and Santa Maria, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS), Lagos, Nigeria and Santa Maria Airport (SMA), Santa Maria, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,761 miles (or 4,444 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 Murtala Muhammed International Airport and Santa Maria Airport, 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 Murtala Muhammed International Airport and Santa Maria Airport. 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 Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS):

• Originally known as Lagos International Airport, it was renamed in the mid 1970s, during construction of the new international terminal, after a former Nigerian military head of state Murtala Muhammed.
• The furthest airport from Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) is Funafuti International Airport (FUN), which is nearly antipodal to Murtala Muhammed International Airport (meaning Murtala Muhammed International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Funafuti International Airport), and is located 12,124 miles (19,511 kilometers) away in Funafuti, Tuvalu.
• Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) has 2 runways.
• Recent years have seen substantial improvements at Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
• The closest airport to Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) is Cotonou Cadjehoun Airport (COO), which is located 66 miles (106 kilometers) WSW of LOS.
• Murtala Muhammed International Airport handled 1,006,646 passengers last year.
• Because of Murtala Muhammed International Airport's relatively low elevation of 135 feet, planes can take off or land at Murtala Muhammed 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.
• In 2009, the airport served 5,644,572 passengers.

Facts about Santa Maria Airport (SMA):

• For a while, Air France's supersonic Concordes were routed to Santa Maria on refueling layovers between Paris and Caracas.
• Santa Maria Airport (SMA) currently has only 1 runway.
• Santa Maria Airport handled 93,436 passengers last year.
• Because of Santa Maria Airport's relatively low elevation of 308 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Maria 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.
• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Airport", another name for SMA is "Aeroporto de Santa Maria".
• The furthest airport from Santa Maria Airport (SMA) is Moruya Airport (MYA), which is nearly antipodal to Santa Maria Airport (meaning Santa Maria Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Moruya Airport), and is located 12,166 miles (19,579 kilometers) away in Moruya, New South Wales, Australia.
• It was built in the context of the Second World War, by US troops in order to maintain supply lines to Europe, and inaugurated on 26 July 1945.
• The closest airport to Santa Maria Airport (SMA) is João Paulo II Airport (PDL), which is located 60 miles (97 kilometers) NNW of SMA.