Nonstop flight route between Hengchun, Taiwan and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Hengchun Airport (HCN), Hengchun, Taiwan and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,748 miles (or 12,469 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 Hengchun 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 Hengchun 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 Hengchun Airport (HCN):

• Because of Hengchun Airport's relatively low elevation of 46 feet, planes can take off or land at Hengchun Airport 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 Hengchun Airport (HCN) is Kaohsiung International Airport (Kaohsiung Siaogang Airport) (KHH), which is located 44 miles (72 kilometers) NNW of HCN.
• Hengchun Airport is an airport in Hengchun, Pingtung County, Taiwan.
• The furthest airport from Hengchun Airport (HCN) is Dr. Luis María Argaña International Airport (ESG), which is nearly antipodal to Hengchun Airport (meaning Hengchun Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Dr. Luis María Argaña International Airport), and is located 12,350 miles (19,876 kilometers) away in Mariscal Estigarribia, Paraguay.
• The airport construction was finished in 2003 and opened to public in 2004 with a cost of NT$ 539,000,000.
• Due to its location, the airport experiences strong Katabatic wind and is forced to close.
• In addition to being known as "Hengchun Airport", other names for HCN include "恆春航空站恆春機場" and "Héngchūn HángkōngzhànHéngchūn Jīchǎng".
• Hengchun Airport (HCN) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• During World War II, the designation of the airfield was changed to Air Base No.4 and the Portuguese government expanded the runway, sending troops and equipment to Terceira, including Gloster Gladiator fighters.
• 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.
• 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".
• 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 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.
• The civilian terminal also plays an important role in support of passenger and cargo airliners, executive, corporate and private jets flying to the island or beyond as the central location in the Azores group of islands makes it an ideal spot for refuelling or stopover.
• In 1961, the Portuguese Air Force EICAP was transferred to Lajes, operating Douglas C-47, Douglas C-54 and later CASA C-212 Aviocar.
• 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.