Nonstop flight route between Guatemala City, Guatemala and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between La Aurora International Airport (GUA), Guatemala City, Guatemala and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,168 miles (or 6,708 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 La Aurora 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 La Aurora 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 La Aurora International Airport (GUA):

• La Aurora International Airport (GUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from La Aurora International Airport (GUA) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 11,915 miles (19,176 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• The closest airport to La Aurora International Airport (GUA) is Quiché Airport (AQB), which is located 51 miles (82 kilometers) NW of GUA.
• Aerial View of the North Concourse
• Because of La Aurora International Airport's high elevation of 4,951 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at GUA. Combined with a high temperature, this could make GUA a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• La Aurora International Airport is the fourth busiest airport in Central America in terms of passenger traffic, surpassed only by Tocumen International Airport in Panamá, Juan Santamaría International Airport in Costa Rica, and Comalapa International Airport in El Salvador.
• In addition to being known as "La Aurora International Airport", another name for GUA is "Aeropuerto Internacional La Aurora".
• On 6 April 1993, TACA Airlines Boeing 767 ran off the end of runway 19 after landing.
• La Aurora International Airport handled 1,970,618 passengers last year.
• Detachments from the airfield operated intermittently from San Jose Airport, San José, Costa Rica, and Puerto San José, Guatemala from 1942 though 1944.
• The head office of the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil is located in the airport Zone 13.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• The Portuguese Air Force continues to operate one SAR squadron Esq.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• Portugal has explored contingencies in the event the United States military eventually abandons Lajes, including the possibility of entering an agreement with the People's Republic of China.
• Lajes Field also played a crucial role in Cold War politics.