Nonstop flight route between Lagos, Nigeria and Pituffik, Greenland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS), Lagos, Nigeria and Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,491 miles (or 8,836 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 Thule 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 Murtala Muhammed International Airport and Thule 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 Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS):

• 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.
• Murtala Muhammed International Airport handled 1,006,646 passengers last year.
• Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) is Cotonou Cadjehoun Airport (COO), which is located 66 miles (106 kilometers) WSW of LOS.
• At one time Nigeria Airways had its head office in Airways House on the airport property.
• Recent years have seen substantial improvements at Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
• 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.

Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):

• Thule AB was constructed in secret under the code name Operation Blue Jay, but the project was made public in September 1952.
• Thule Air Base has served as the regional hub for nearby installations, including Cape Atholl, Camp Century, Camp TUTO, Sites 1 and 2, P-Mountain, J-Site, North and South Mountains, and a research rocket firing site.
• The ratification of the treaty in 1951 did not change much, except that the Danish national flag Dannebrog must be side by side with Stars and Stripes on the base.
• Thule Air Base is home to the 21st Space Wing's global network of sensors providing missile warning, space surveillance and space control to North American Aerospace Defense Command and Air Force Space Command.
• There is only a brief period each year in the summer when sea ice thins sufficiently to send supply ships to the base.
• The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
• In the winter of 1956/57 three KC-97 tankers and alternately one of two RB-47H aircraft made polar flights to inspect Soviet defenses.
• The furthest airport from Thule Air Base (THU) is Hobart International Airport (HBA), which is located 9,883 miles (15,905 kilometers) away in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
• Originally established as a Strategic Air Command installation, Thule would periodically serve as a dispersal base for B-36 Peacemaker and B-47 Stratojet aircraft during the 1950s, as well as providing an ideal site to test the operability and maintainability of these weapon systems in extreme cold weather.
• In 1949, Denmark joined NATO and abandoned its attempt to remove the United States bases.
• In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".