Nonstop flight route between Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Hateruma, Okinawa, Japan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Hateruma Airport (HTR), Hateruma, Okinawa, Japan would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,705 miles (or 12,401 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 Lajes Air Base and Hateruma 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 Lajes Air Base and Hateruma 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 Lajes Air Base (TER):

• In the late 1950s, USAF air refueling/tanker aircraft were stationed at Lajes to provide inflight refueling for U.S.
• The United States and the United Kingdom transferred control of Lajes to Portugal in 1946.
• The furthest airport from Lajes Air Base (TER) is Merimbula Airport (MIM), which is nearly antipodal to Lajes Air Base (meaning Lajes Air Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Merimbula Airport), and is located 12,229 miles (19,680 kilometers) away in Merimbula, New South Wales, Australia.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Lajes Air Base's relatively low elevation of 180 feet, planes can take off or land at Lajes Air Base 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.
• Today, Lajes continues to support transiting aircraft.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• In addition to being known as "Lajes Air Base", other names for TER include "Base Aérea das Lajes", "Base Aérea Nº 4" and "Aeroporto das Lajes".
• In 2009 Lajes provided rescue support of shipping lanes across the Atlantic, a safe haven for medical or mechanical emergency situations in aircraft crossing the Atlantic, and support for the USAF's continuing campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• In the summer of 1984, Lajes undertook a new mission known as "SILK PURSE." Boeing EC-135s began operating out of Lajes Field as an airborne command post for the U.S.

Facts about Hateruma Airport (HTR):

• The furthest airport from Hateruma Airport (HTR) is Dr. Augusto Roberto Fuster International Airport (PJC), which is nearly antipodal to Hateruma Airport (meaning Hateruma Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Dr. Augusto Roberto Fuster International Airport), and is located 12,336 miles (19,853 kilometers) away in Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay.
• Because of Hateruma Airport's relatively low elevation of 43 feet, planes can take off or land at Hateruma 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 Hateruma Airport (HTR) is Ishigaki Airport (ISG), which is located 31 miles (50 kilometers) NE of HTR.
• Hateruma Airport (HTR) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Hateruma Airport", other names for HTR include "波照間空港" and "Hateruma Kūkō".