- Great circle
- 9,592 km
- 5,960 mi
- Estimated in the air
- 12h 25m
- block time
- Furthest from equator
- 71.0°N
- at 40% along
- One lap of Earth
- 23.9%
- of 40,075 km
Of the 292 routes catalogued here, this is the 49th longest.
What the aircraft actually flies over
From London the path crosses United Kingdom, then 719 km of open water, then Norway, then Sweden, then Finland, then Russia, then 647 km of open water, then Russia, then China, then Russia, then 719 km of open water, then Japan.
The great circle reaches 71.0°N, inside the Arctic circle — which is why the route looks like a detour over the top of the world on a flat map, and like the obvious line on a globe.
Flying the line that looks straight on a Mercator map — one constant compass bearing — would cover 11,346 km. That is 1,754 km further, about 18% more, and roughly 2h 11m of extra flying.
Leaving London the aircraft points north-east (31°); it arrives into Tokyo heading south-east (156°). That is 125° 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 Tokyo, asked and answered
- How far is London to Tokyo?
- London to Tokyo (LHR to HND) is 9,592 km, or 5,960 mi, measured as great circle distance between the two airports.
- How long is the flight from London to Tokyo?
- About 12h 25m 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 Tokyo flight take?
- The great circle passes over United Kingdom, then 719 km of open water, then Norway, then Sweden, then Finland, then Russia, then 647 km of open water, then Russia, then China, then Russia, then 719 km of open water, then Japan. It reaches 71.0°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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