Nonstop flight route between Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Tainan City, Taiwan, Republic of China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Tainan Airport (TNN), Tainan City, Taiwan, Republic of China would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,677 miles (or 12,354 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 Tainan 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 Tainan 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):

• Lajes Field was one of the two stopover and refueling bases for the first transatlantic crossing of non-rigid airships in 1944.
• 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 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.
• During the Portuguese Colonial War, from 1961 to 1975, the Air Force Hospital at Lajes operated as the main centre for treatment and rehabilitation of mutilated and heavy burned soldiers of the three services of the Portuguese Armed Forces.
• By 1943, the British and American armed forces were allowed basing rights in Portugal, and the Royal Air Force took over Lajes Field as RAF Station Lajes.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• In August 2006, Portuguese news agencies reported that both governments were in discussions for a new agreement that could allow the use of Lajes for the training of a permanent F-22 Raptor squadron.
• The base also supports other NATO and non-NATO armed forces assets crossing the Atlantic for transport, VIP, exercise, relief or humanitarian duties.
• In 1980, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Terceira Island.
• 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.
• 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.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Tainan Airport (TNN):

• The closest airport to Tainan Airport (TNN) is Kaohsiung International Airport (Kaohsiung Siaogang Airport) (KHH), which is located 27 miles (44 kilometers) SSE of TNN.
• Tainan Airport (TNN) has 2 runways.
• On 21 March 2003, TransAsia Airways flight 543 on a flight from Taipei Songshan Airport to Tainan Airport, collided with a truck that was on runway 36R.
• Because of Tainan Airport's relatively low elevation of 63 feet, planes can take off or land at Tainan 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.
• A number of US units have been stationed at Tainan Air Base, including the 868th Tactical Missile Squadron from 1958 to 1962, which operated MGM-1 Matadors, probably under the ultimate control of the United States Taiwan Defense Command.
• The furthest airport from Tainan Airport (TNN) is Dr. Luis María Argaña International Airport (ESG), which is nearly antipodal to Tainan Airport (meaning Tainan Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Dr. Luis María Argaña International Airport), and is located 12,355 miles (19,883 kilometers) away in Mariscal Estigarribia, Paraguay.
• In addition to being known as "Tainan Airport", other names for TNN include "臺南航空站台南機場" and "Táinán HángkōngzhànTáinán Jīchǎng".