Nonstop flight route between Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fort McMurray International Airport (YMM), Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,833 miles (or 6,168 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 Fort McMurray 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 Fort McMurray 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 Fort McMurray International Airport (YMM):

• Bus service operates between the airport and downtown Fort McMurray via the Route 11 Airport Shuttle bus.
• Fort McMurray International Airport handled 1,195,378 passengers last year.
• Fort McMurray International Airport (YMM) currently has only 1 runway.
• Fort McMurray International Airport is located 7 nautical miles southeast of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada.
• The furthest airport from Fort McMurray International Airport (YMM) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 9,996 miles (16,087 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The closest airport to Fort McMurray International Airport (YMM) is Buffalo Narrows Airport (YVT), which is located 121 miles (195 kilometers) ESE of YMM.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• Base Aérea das LajesBase Aérea Nº 4Aeroporto 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.
• 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 Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• 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 Portuguese Air Force continues to operate one SAR squadron Esq.
• 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.
• 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".