Nonstop flight route between Riga, Latvia and Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Riga International Airport (RIX), Riga, Latvia and Chennault International Airport (CWF), Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,394 miles (or 8,681 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 Riga International Airport and Chennault International 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 Riga International Airport and Chennault International 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 Riga International Airport (RIX):

• Renovation and modernization of the airport was completed in 2001, coinciding with the 800th anniversary of the founding of the city.
• In addition to being known as "Riga International Airport", another name for RIX is "Starptautiskā lidosta “Rīga”".
• The closest airport to Riga International Airport (RIX) is Šiauliai International Airport (SQQ), which is located 74 miles (120 kilometers) SSW of RIX.
• As the Latvian government may be backing out of the state-financed plan to build the 20 million passenger capable terminal, airBaltic is now planning, by 2014, to build for its own exclusive use a second terminal which can handle 40 planes and 5000 passengers per hour, equivalent to about 7.5 million passengers per year, located next to the current terminal, while leaving the current terminal for all other airlines to use.
• Riga International Airport (RIX) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 2006, the new north terminal extension was opened.
• The furthest airport from Riga International Airport (RIX) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,169 miles (17,975 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of Riga International Airport's relatively low elevation of 36 feet, planes can take off or land at Riga 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.

Facts about Chennault International Airport (CWF):

• Chennault International Airport is a public use airport located four nautical miles east of the central business district of Lake Charles, a city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States.
• The closest airport to Chennault International Airport (CWF) is Lake Charles Regional Airport (LCH), which is located only 8 miles (12 kilometers) SW of CWF.
• Because of Chennault International Airport's relatively low elevation of 17 feet, planes can take off or land at Chennault 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.
• Chennault International Airport (CWF) currently has only 1 runway.
• It was previously Chennault Air Force Base and before that, Lake Charles Air Force Base' and Lake Charles Army Air Field, and as such, was home to the now inactivated 44th Bombardment Wing in the 1950s and 1960s.
• The furthest airport from Chennault International Airport (CWF) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 11,037 miles (17,763 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• The site was officially designated by NASA as an alternative landing site for the Space Shuttle.