Nonstop flight route between Fayetteville/Springdale, Arkansas, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA), Fayetteville/Springdale, Arkansas, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,602 miles (or 5,796 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 Northwest Arkansas Regional 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 Northwest Arkansas Regional 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 Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA):

• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 547,871 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 530,087 enplanements in 2009, and 549,195 in 2010.
• The closest airport to Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) is Smith Field (SLG), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) WSW of XNA.
• The furthest airport from Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,773 miles (17,337 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport covers an area of 2,184 acres at an elevation of 1,288 feet above mean sea level.
• Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) has 2 runways.
• The airport recently completed a ticket counter expansion, and is planning two large warehouse additions.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization military alliance was established.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 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 closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of 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 1961, the Portuguese Air Force EICAP was transferred to Lajes, operating Douglas C-47, Douglas C-54 and later CASA C-212 Aviocar.
• Civilian operators may use Terceira Airport/Lajes Air Base after requesting a landing permit according to the rules inscribed in the AIP for Portugal, issued by the Portuguese Directorate of Civilian Aviation.
• 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.
• During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Lajes Field also supported U.S.
• 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.