- Great circle
- 10,605 km
- 6,590 mi
- Estimated in the air
- 13h 41m
- block time
- Furthest from equator
- 52.3°N
- at 9% along
- One lap of Earth
- 26.5%
- of 40,075 km
Of the 292 routes catalogued here, this is the 33rd longest.
What the aircraft actually flies over
From London the path crosses United Kingdom, then Netherlands, then Germany, then Poland, then Ukraine, then Russia, then Kazakhstan, then Uzbekistan, then Afghanistan, then Pakistan, then India, then 2,360 km of open water, then Malaysia.
The furthest the great circle gets from the equator is 52.3°N, 9% of the way along.
Flying the line that looks straight on a Mercator map — one constant compass bearing — would cover 11,049 km. That is 444 km further, about 4% more, and roughly 33m of extra flying.
Leaving London the aircraft points east (79°); it arrives into Kuala Lumpur heading south-east (142°). That is 64° 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 Kuala Lumpur, asked and answered
- How far is London to Kuala Lumpur?
- London to Kuala Lumpur (LHR to KUL) is 10,605 km, or 6,590 mi, measured as great circle distance between the two airports.
- How long is the flight from London to Kuala Lumpur?
- About 13h 41m 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 Kuala Lumpur flight take?
- The great circle passes over United Kingdom, then Netherlands, then Germany, then Poland, then Ukraine, then Russia, then Kazakhstan, then Uzbekistan, then Afghanistan, then Pakistan, then India, then 2,360 km of open water, then Malaysia. It reaches 52.3°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.
Flown this one?
Orbit logs it in two taps and draws the arc on your own globe, along with every other flight you can remember. Free for your first 15.