Nonstop flight route between Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Toronto, Ontario, Canada:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), Toronto, Ontario, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,695 miles (or 4,337 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 Billy Bishop Toronto City 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 Billy Bishop Toronto City 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):

• 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".
• The Portuguese Air Force continues to operate one SAR squadron Esq.
• 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.
• Today, Lajes continues to support transiting aircraft.
• The origin of the Lajes Field dates back to 1928, when Portuguese Army Lieutenant colonel Eduardo Gomes da Silva wrote a report on the possible construction of an airfield in the plainland of Lajes, for that branch's aviation service.
• Lajes Field also played a crucial role in Cold War politics.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• The resident Portuguese 711 Squadron "Albatrozes" was deactivated on 30 November 2006.

Facts about Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ):

• Airport passenger traffic declined in the 1990s.
• In addition to being known as "Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport", another name for YTZ is "Toronto Island Airport".
• In April 1978, Transport Minister Otto Lang announced a plan to provide daily scheduled airline service between the airport, Ottawa and Montreal, using de Havilland Dash 7 STOL planes.
• Because of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport's relatively low elevation of 252 feet, planes can take off or land at Billy Bishop Toronto City 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.
• Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) has 3 runways.
• The site of the airport had been home to a baseball stadium, numerous cottages, amusement park attractions and the regatta course.
• In the September 17, 2009, La Presse newspaper, Air Canada president and CEO Calin Rovinescu was quoted as saying that the term of exclusivity for Porter at the airport ends in 2010 and that Air Canada is considering a return to the airport in 2010, if acceptable terms can be arranged.
• The furthest airport from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,411 miles (18,364 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Conceived in the 1930s as the main airport for Toronto, the construction of the airport was completed in 1939 by the Toronto Harbour Commission.
• Art Eggleton was elected Toronto mayor and a compromise was reached in 1981, when the City of Toronto agreed to a limited level of commercial STOL passenger service, and the exclusion of jet airplanes.
• The first proposal to build an airport was made in June 1929 by the Toronto Harbour Commission.
• Trans-Canada Air Lines was expected to begin operations in 1937, so in November 1936, City Council formed an "Advisory Airport Committee" to advise on where to build a municipal airport.
• The closest airport to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) is Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), which is located only 12 miles (20 kilometers) WNW of YTZ.
• By the end of 1952, the accumulated cost of running the Island Airport, and paying the interest on the debt of construction, totalled $752,000.