Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, Portugal and Brownsville, Texas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Airport (SMA), Santa Maria, Portugal and Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport (BRO), Brownsville, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,228 miles (or 6,805 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 Brownsville/South Padre Island 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 Santa Maria Airport and Brownsville/South Padre Island 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 Santa Maria Airport (SMA):

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Santa Maria Airport handled 93,436 passengers last year.
• 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.

Facts about Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport (BRO):

• The furthest airport from Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport (BRO) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,143 miles (17,933 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport (BRO) has 3 runways.
• Pan American Airways, Inc..
• Because of Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport's relatively low elevation of 22 feet, planes can take off or land at Brownsville/South Padre Island 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.
• The closest airport to Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport (BRO) is General Servando Canales International Airport (MAM), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) SSW of BRO.
• For the first year of the United States' involvement in combat of the war, Pan American continued to operate the airport, providing training to Ferrying Command pilots and ground mechanics assigned to the 18th Transport Transition Training Detachment.
• In addition to being known as "Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport", another name for BRO is "(former Brownsville Army Airfield)".
• The airport is served by two commercial airlines, six air taxis and offers three FBOs for general aviation.
• During World War II the airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces, although the Air Corps had signed a contract with Pan American Airways in 1940 for the training of aircraft mechanics at the airport.