Nonstop flight route between Macas, Ecuador and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (XMS), Macas, Ecuador and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,304 miles (or 6,927 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 Col. Edmundo Carvajal 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 Col. Edmundo Carvajal 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 Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (XMS):

• The closest airport to Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (XMS) is Rio Amazonas Airport (PTZ), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) N of XMS.
• The furthest airport from Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (XMS) is Melaka International Airport (MKZ), which is nearly antipodal to Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (meaning Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Melaka International Airport), and is located 12,411 miles (19,973 kilometers) away in Batu Berendam, Malaysia.
• In addition to being known as "Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport", another name for XMS is "Aeropuerto "Coronel Edmundo Carvajal"".
• Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (XMS) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• 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.
• 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 Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 provides support to 15,000 aircraft, including fighters from the US and 20 other allied nations each.
• In 1961, the Portuguese Air Force EICAP was transferred to Lajes, operating Douglas C-47, Douglas C-54 and later CASA C-212 Aviocar.
• 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 1980, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Terceira Island.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• 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.
• 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 resident Portuguese 711 Squadron "Albatrozes" was deactivated on 30 November 2006.