Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, Portugal and Scottsbluff, Nebraska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Airport (SMA), Santa Maria, Portugal and Western Nebraska Regional Airport (BFF), Scottsbluff, Nebraska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,050 miles (or 6,517 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 Santa Maria Airport and Western Nebraska Regional 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 Santa Maria Airport and Western Nebraska Regional 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 Santa Maria Airport (SMA):

• Transportes Aéreos Portugueses began lay-over flights to this airport on 7 December 1962, eventually inaugurating trans-Atlantic service between Santa Maria-New York and Santa Maria-Montreal.
• Santa Maria Airport (SMA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Santa Maria Airport (SMA) is João Paulo II Airport (PDL), which is located 60 miles (97 kilometers) NNW of SMA.
• The airport at Santa Maria was part of a larger complex of buildings and infrastructures constructed in the 20th century.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Santa Maria Airport handled 93,436 passengers last year.

Facts about Western Nebraska Regional Airport (BFF):

• Construction began on September 7, 1942.
• In addition to being known as "Western Nebraska Regional Airport", other names for BFF include "William B. Heilig Field" and "(former Scottsbluff Army Airfield)".
• The base was occupied as early as 11 October 1942 and was assigned to Second Air Force.
• The closest airport to Western Nebraska Regional Airport (BFF) is Torrington Municipal Airport (TOR), which is located 32 miles (51 kilometers) WNW of BFF.
• Western Nebraska Regional Airport (BFF) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Western Nebraska Regional Airport (BFF) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,729 miles (17,266 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• In July 1970 Scotts Bluff County took control and has had it since.