Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Panama City, Panama:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and Tocumen International Airport (PTY), Panama City, Panama would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,145 miles (or 5,061 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 Public Airport and Tocumen 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 Public Airport and Tocumen 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 Public Airport (SMX):

• The airport was built by the United States Army during World War II, known as Santa Maria Army Air Field.
• The furthest airport from Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,466 miles (18,453 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• During its use by the military Santa Maria AAF also controlled Estrella Army Airfield, near Paso Robles as an auxiliary airfield to support the pilot training activity.
• A 4,000-square-foot baggage claim facility opened in 2007.
• Besides the current Allegiant jet service, SkyWest Airlines operating as United Express via a code sharing agreement with United Airlines flies Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia turboprops and sometimes Bombardier CRJ-200 Regional Jet nonstop to Los Angeles that served the airport for many years.
• Other enhancements include a new passenger terminal holding room that opened February 2008.
• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Vandenberg Air Force Base (VBG), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) SSW of SMX.
• Because of Santa Maria Public Airport's relatively low elevation of 261 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Maria Public 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 Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• At one point during the early 1980's Swift Aire Lines, which was based at the nearby San Luis Obispo Airport, was the only airline flying nonstop between Santa Maria and Los Angeles, primarily with Fokker F27 Friendship turboprops which the carrier had purchased new from the manufacturer.

Facts about Tocumen International Airport (PTY):

• Tocumen International Airport (PTY) has 2 runways.
• The name of the airport was changed in 1981 by the military government for Omar Torrijos International Airport, in honor to the Panamanian leader who died in July 31, 1981, at the age of 52 in a plane crash in Cerro Marta, Coclesito in very bad conditions.
• Tocumen International Airport is a regional hub for commercial flights heading to and from The Caribbean, South America, North America and Central America.
• The next step of the modernization project was the purchasing of new equipment to provide service and support to the common areas of the airport.
• Terminal Sur was tendered in the first half of 2012 and the competition was won by the company Odebrecht.
• Tocumen International Airport handled 7,784,328 passengers last year.
• Because of Tocumen International Airport's relatively low elevation of 135 feet, planes can take off or land at Tocumen 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 furthest airport from Tocumen International Airport (PTY) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is nearly antipodal to Tocumen International Airport (meaning Tocumen International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport), and is located 12,101 miles (19,475 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• The closest airport to Tocumen International Airport (PTY) is Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport (PAC), which is located only 14 miles (22 kilometers) WSW of PTY.
• The renovation of the old Tocumen international airport to be used solely as a cargo terminal, was the last step of the modernization project of Tocumen international airport.
• In addition to being known as "Tocumen International Airport", another name for PTY is "Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen".