- Great circle
- 6,841 km
- 4,251 mi
- Estimated in the air
- 9h 00m
- block time
- Furthest from equator
- 51.5°N
- at 0% along
- One lap of Earth
- 17.1%
- of 40,075 km
Of the 292 routes catalogued here, this is the 97th longest.
What the aircraft actually flies over
From London the path crosses France, then Italy, then 838 km of open water, then Italy, then 821 km of open water, then Libya, then Sudan, then South Sudan, then Kenya.
The furthest the great circle gets from the equator is 51.5°N, 0% of the way along.
Flying the line that looks straight on a Mercator map — one constant compass bearing — would cover 6,868 km. That is 27 km further, about 0% more, and roughly 2m of extra flying.
Leaving London the aircraft points south-east (136°); it arrives into Nairobi heading south-east (155°). That is 18° 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 Nairobi, asked and answered
- How far is London to Nairobi?
- London to Nairobi (LHR to NBO) is 6,841 km, or 4,251 mi, measured as great circle distance between the two airports.
- How long is the flight from London to Nairobi?
- About 9h 00m 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 Nairobi flight take?
- The great circle passes over France, then Italy, then 838 km of open water, then Italy, then 821 km of open water, then Libya, then Sudan, then South Sudan, then Kenya. 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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