- Great circle
- 2,427 km
- 1,508 mi
- Estimated in the air
- 3h 31m
- block time
- Furthest from equator
- 51.5°N
- at 0% along
- One lap of Earth
- 6.1%
- of 40,075 km
Of the 292 routes catalogued here, this is the 184th longest.
What the aircraft actually flies over
From London the path crosses France, then Italy, then 322 km of open water, then Albania, then Greece.
The furthest the great circle gets from the equator is 51.5°N, 0% of the way along.
Holding a single compass bearing the whole way would cover almost exactly the same ground, so on this route the flat map and the globe agree.
Leaving London the aircraft points south-east (119°); it arrives into Athens heading south-east (136°). That is 17° of drift without a single turn — the compass moves because the path is a curve on a sphere, not because the aircraft does.
London to Athens, asked and answered
- How far is London to Athens?
- London to Athens (LHR to ATH) is 2,427 km, or 1,508 mi, measured as great circle distance between the two airports.
- How long is the flight from London to Athens?
- About 3h 31m in the air. That is an estimate from the distance at a typical airliner block speed, plus half an hour for taxi, climb and descent; published schedules vary with winds and routing.
- What route does a London to Athens flight take?
- The great circle passes over France, then Italy, then 322 km of open water, then Albania, then Greece. It reaches 51.5°N at its furthest from the equator.
Where these numbers come from
Distances are computed from the two airports’ own coordinates, not looked up from published routes. Times are estimates, not schedules.
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