Nonstop flight route between Turpan, Xinjiang, China and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Turpan Jiaohe Airport (TLQ), Turpan, Xinjiang, China and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,519 miles (or 8,883 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 Turpan Jiaohe Airport and Lajes Air Base, 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 Turpan Jiaohe Airport and Lajes Air Base. 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 Turpan Jiaohe Airport (TLQ):

• The furthest airport from Turpan Jiaohe Airport (TLQ) is Gamboa Airport (WCA), which is located 11,569 miles (18,618 kilometers) away in Castro, Chile.
• In addition to being known as "Turpan Jiaohe Airport", other names for TLQ include "吐鲁番交河机场" and "Tǔlǔfān Jiāohé Jīchǎng".
• The closest airport to Turpan Jiaohe Airport (TLQ) is Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport (URC), which is located 102 miles (163 kilometers) NW of TLQ.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• In 1947, the Portuguese Esquadra 41 started to operate from Lajes, equipped with Boeing SB-17, Grumman HU-16 Albatross, Douglas C-54 Skymaster and, later Sikorsky H-19.
• 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.
• 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.
• Another important Cold War operation at Lajes was the U.S.
• The United States and the United Kingdom transferred control of Lajes to Portugal in 1946.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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".
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• On 14 December 2012 it was announced that personnel at Lajes Field will be reduced in 2014 with a reduction of 400 military personnel and 500 family members.