Nonstop flight route between Paro, Bhutan and Santa Maria, Portugal:
Departure Airport:
(27°24'32"N by 89°25'14"E)
Arrival Airport:
(36°58'26"N by 25°10'15"W)
Distance from PBH to SMA:
6,290.74 miles (10,123.94 km)
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- About this route
- PBH Airport Information
- SMA Airport Information
- Facts about PBH
- Facts about SMA
- Map of Nearest Airports to PBH
- List of Nearest Airports to PBH
- Map of Furthest Airports from PBH
- List of Furthest Airports from PBH
- Map of Nearest Airports to SMA
- List of Nearest Airports to SMA
- Map of Furthest Airports from SMA
- List of Furthest Airports from SMA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Paro International Airport (PBH), Paro, Bhutan and Santa Maria Airport (SMA), Santa Maria, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,291 miles (or 10,124 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 Paro 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 Paro 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:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | PBH / VQPR |
| Airport Name: | Paro International Airport |
| Location: | Paro, Bhutan |
| GPS Coordinates: | 27°24'32"N by 89°25'14"E |
| Area Served: | Thimphu and Paro District |
| Operator/Owner: | Department of Civil Aviation |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 7300 feet (2,225 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from PBH |
| More Information: | PBH Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SMA / LPAZ |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Santa Maria, Portugal |
| GPS Coordinates: | 36°58'26"N by 25°10'15"W |
| Area Served: | Vila do Porto |
| Operator/Owner: | Government of Portugal |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 308 feet (94 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SMA |
| More Information: | SMA Maps & Info |
Facts about Paro International Airport (PBH):
- The airport has a single, 6,445 feet asphalt runway.
- Because of Paro International Airport's high elevation of 7,300 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at PBH. Combined with a high temperature, this could make PBH a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- The second international airport project, which was planned for construction at the Gelephu site, was downgraded to a domestic airport project in October 2008.
- Druk Air is the national flag carrier airline of Bhutan and has its base at Paro Airport.
- In 2012 it was reported that 181,659 passengers used the airport.
- With surrounding peaks as high as 18,000 ft it is considered one of the world's most challenging airports, and as of October 2009, only eight pilots in the world are certified to land at the airport.
- The closest airport to Paro International Airport (PBH) is Cooch Behar Airport (COH), which is located 65 miles (104 kilometers) SSE of PBH.
- Paro International Airport (PBH) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Paro International Airport (PBH) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is located 11,281 miles (18,155 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
Facts about Santa Maria Airport (SMA):
- 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".
- Along with the airports in Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Flores, Horta, Ponta Delgada and Beja, the airport's concessions to provide support to civil aviation was conceded to ANA Aeroportos de Portugal on 18 December 1998, under provisions of decree 404/98.
- Santa Maria Airport handled 93,436 passengers last year.
- Santa Maria Airport is an airport located 5 km west northwest of the urbanized area of Vila do Porto on the Portuguese island of Santa Maria, in the autonomous region of the Azores.
- 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.
- The closest airport to Santa Maria Airport (SMA) is João Paulo II Airport (PDL), which is located 60 miles (97 kilometers) NNW of SMA.
- Santa Maria Airport (SMA) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 64.60 miles (103.97 km) SSE | Cooch Behar Airport (COH) | Cooch Behar, India |     |
| 2 | 81.96 miles (131.90 km) E | Bathpalathang Airport (BUT) | Jakar, Bumthang, Bhutan | |
| 3 | 83.93 miles (135.07 km) SW | Bagdogra AirportCivil Aerodrome Bagdogra (IXB) | Bagdogra, India | |
| 4 | 92.59 miles (149.00 km) SSE | Rupsi Airport (RUP) | Rupsi, Meghalaya, India | |
| 5 | 100.86 miles (162.32 km) SW | Bhadrapur Airport (BDP) | Bhadrapur / Chandragadhi, Nepal | |
| 6 | 105.12 miles (169.17 km) S | Lalmonirhat Airport (LLJ) | Lalmonirhat, Bangladesh | |
| 7 | 118.29 miles (190.37 km) SSW | Saidpur Airport (SPD) | Saidpur, Bangladesh | |
| 8 | 134.41 miles (216.31 km) N | Shigatse Peace Airport (RKZ) | Shigatse, Tibet Autonomous Region, China | |
| 9 | 146.64 miles (235.99 km) W | Bhojpur Airport (BHP) | Bhojpur, Nepal | |
| 10 | 147.48 miles (237.35 km) WSW | Biratnagar Airport (BIR) | Biratnagar, Nepal | |
| 11 | 158.92 miles (255.75 km) NE | Lhasa Gonggar Airport (LXA) | Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China | |
| 12 | 161.08 miles (259.23 km) ESE | Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (GAU) | Guwahati, India | |
| 13 | 165.83 miles (266.88 km) W | Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA) | Lukla, Nepal | |
| 14 | 169.17 miles (272.25 km) W | Lamidanda Airport (LDN) | Lamidanda, Nepal | |
| 15 | 174.03 miles (280.08 km) W | Phaplu Airport (PPL) | Phaplu, Nepal | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,280.78 miles (18,154.61 km) E | Mataveri International Airport (IPC) | Easter Island, Chile | |
| 2 | 11,250.61 miles (18,106.06 km) WSW | La Florida Airport (LSC) | La Serena, Chile | |
| 3 | 11,235.55 miles (18,081.82 km) WSW | Viña del Mar Airport (KNA) | Viña del Mar, Chile | |
| 4 | 11,227.47 miles (18,068.82 km) SW | Carriel Sur International Airport (CCP) | Concepción, Bío Bío Region, Chile | |
| 5 | 11,219.40 miles (18,055.84 km) WSW | La Unión Airport (LUI) | La Unión, Honduras[disambiguation needed] | |
| 6 | 11,204.93 miles (18,032.53 km) W | Chañaral Airport (CNR) | Chañaral, Atacama Region, Chile | |
| 7 | 11,200.62 miles (18,025.60 km) W | Chamonate Airfield (CPO) | Copiapó, Atacama Region, Chile | |
| 8 | 11,189.32 miles (18,007.42 km) WSW | Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) | Santiago, Chile | |
| 9 | 11,181.96 miles (17,995.58 km) SW | General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI) | Chillán, Ñuble, Chile | |
| 10 | 11,153.08 miles (17,949.10 km) W | Ricardo García Posada Airport El Salvador Bajo Airport (ESR) | El Salvador, Chile | |
| 11 | 11,152.47 miles (17,948.12 km) W | Andrés Sabella Gálvez International Airport (former Cerro Moreno International Airport) (ANF) | Antofagasta, Chile | |
| 12 | 11,144.26 miles (17,934.90 km) SW | Victoria Airport (ZIC) | Victoria, Araucanía, Chile | |
| 13 | 11,139.13 miles (17,926.64 km) SW | Maquehue Airport (ZCO) | Temuco, Araucanía, Chile | |
| 14 | 11,127.07 miles (17,907.24 km) W | Carolina Airport (CLN) | Carolina, Maranhão, Brazil | |
| 15 | 11,125.66 miles (17,904.98 km) SW | Pichoy Airport (ZAL) | Valdivia, Chile | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 60.44 miles (97.26 km) NNW | João Paulo II Airport (PDL) | Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal | |
| 2 | 161.94 miles (260.61 km) NW | Lajes Air Base (TER) | Lajes, Azores, Portugal | |
| 3 | 209.34 miles (336.90 km) WNW | Pico Airport (PIX) | Pico Island, Azores, Portugal | |
| 4 | 213.54 miles (343.67 km) NW | Graciosa Airport (GRW) | Graciosa Island, Azores, Portugal | |
| 5 | 221.17 miles (355.94 km) WNW | Horta International Airport (HOR) | Horta, Azores, Portugal | |
| 6 | 366.19 miles (589.32 km) WNW | Flores Airport (FLW) | Flores Island, Azores, Portugal | |
| 7 | 371.97 miles (598.63 km) WNW | Corvo Airport (CVU) | Corvo Island, Azores, Portugal | |
| 8 | 560.01 miles (901.25 km) ESE | Madeira Airport (FNC) | Funchal, Madeira, Portugal | |
| 9 | 566.98 miles (912.46 km) ESE | Porto Santo Airport (PXO) | Porto Santo, Madeira, Portugal | |
| 10 | 719.25 miles (1,157.51 km) SE | La Palma Airport (SPC) | La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| 11 | 771.87 miles (1,242.20 km) SE | La Gomera Airport (GMZ) | Alajeró / San Sebastián, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| 12 | 778.68 miles (1,253.16 km) SE | Tenerife North Airport (TFN) | Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| 13 | 793.97 miles (1,277.77 km) SE | Tenerife-South Airport (TFS) | Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| 14 | 844.99 miles (1,359.87 km) SE | Gran Canaria Airport (LPA) | Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| 15 | 869.00 miles (1,398.51 km) SE | Lanzarote Airport (ACE) | Arrecife, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,166.03 miles (19,579.28 km) ESE | Moruya Airport (MYA) | Moruya, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 2 | 12,164.68 miles (19,577.11 km) E | Merimbula Airport (MIM) | Merimbula, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 3 | 12,155.61 miles (19,562.50 km) SE | Illawarra Regional Airport (WOL) | Shellharbour, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 4 | 12,143.59 miles (19,543.17 km) SE | Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport (SYD) | Mascot (near Sydney), Australia | |
| 5 | 12,135.02 miles (19,529.37 km) SE | Bankstown Airport (BWU) | Bankstown (near Sydney), New South Wales, Australia | |
| 6 | 12,128.04 miles (19,518.13 km) SE | Camden Aerodrome (CDU) | Camden, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 7 | 12,113.81 miles (19,495.24 km) ESE | Goulburn Airport (GUL) | Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 8 | 12,112.40 miles (19,492.97 km) SE | Belmont Airport (BEO) | Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 9 | 12,102.07 miles (19,476.35 km) ESE | Canberra Airport (CBR) | Canberra, Australia | |
| 10 | 12,101.93 miles (19,476.12 km) SSE | Newcastle Airport (NTL) | Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 11 | 12,086.58 miles (19,451.41 km) SE | Cessnock Airport (CES) | Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 12 | 12,086.22 miles (19,450.83 km) SSE | Maitland Airport (MTL) | Maitland, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 13 | 12,054.69 miles (19,400.10 km) SE | Bathurst Airport (BHS) | Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 14 | 12,047.90 miles (19,389.17 km) E | Corryong Airport (CYG) | Corryong, Victoria, Australia | |
| 15 | 12,038.04 miles (19,373.30 km) SSE | Port Macquarie Airport (PQQ) | Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia | |