Nonstop flight route between Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Viracopos–Campinas International Airport (VCP), Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,461 miles (or 7,179 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 Viracopos–Campinas International 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 Viracopos–Campinas International 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 Viracopos–Campinas International Airport (VCP):

• The position of international airport of São Paulo was lost in 1985 with the opening of Guarulhos International Airport and Viracopos entered into a decade of stagnation, with all international and most domestic flights transferred to Guarulhos and Congonhas.
• The closest airport to Viracopos–Campinas International Airport (VCP) is Campo dos Amarais State Airport (CPQ), which is located only 10 miles (17 kilometers) N of VCP.
• However, due to legal and bureaucratic issues, the planned developments never occurred.
• Viracopos–Campinas International Airport handled 8,824,074 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Viracopos–Campinas International Airport (VCP) is Minami-Daito Airport (MMD), which is nearly antipodal to Viracopos–Campinas International Airport (meaning Viracopos–Campinas International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Minami-Daito Airport), and is located 12,216 miles (19,660 kilometers) away in Minami Daito, Okinawa, Japan.
• In the 1970s Viracopos became the international airport for São Paulo, because the runway of São Paulo-Congonhas Airport was too short to accommodate intercontinental jet planes.
• In addition to being known as "Viracopos–Campinas International Airport", another name for VCP is "Aeroporto Internacional de Viracopos–Campinas".
• The region of Campinas, like most of the interior of the state of São Paulo, is one of the most prosperous in Brazil, with an impressive economic output.
• Following a decision made on 26 April 2011 by the Federal Government for private companies being granted concessions to explore some Infraero airports, on 6 February 2012, the administration of the airport was conceded, for 30 years, to the Consortium Aeroportos Brasil composed by the Brazilian Triunfo, an Investments and Funds Society and Engenharia e Participações, an Engineering and Investments Society, and the French Aeroports Egis Avia.
• Viracopos–Campinas International Airport (VCP) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (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 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.
• Today, Lajes continues to support transiting aircraft.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• Lajes Field also played a crucial role in Cold War politics.
• 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 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.
• The Portuguese Air Force continues to operate one SAR squadron Esq.
• The United States and the United Kingdom transferred control of Lajes to Portugal in 1946.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.