London to Sydney (Mascot)
21h 34mgate to gate
The flight from London Gatwick Airport (LGW) to Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) covers 17,021 km (10,577 miles) and takes approximately 21h 34m gate to gate for a typical jet.
The route heads north-east on an initial great-circle bearing of 61°, passing near 28.2° N, 104.0° E at its midpoint.
Bearing 61° north-east Midpoint 28.2° N, 104.0° E Model 805 km/h + 25 min
SOURCE·OurAirports + great-circle computation·REVIEWED JUL 2026
How this is worked out
- Take both airports' published coordinates from OurAirports — nothing here is scraped from another flight site.
- Great-circle distance by haversine on a mean earth radius of 6,371.0088 km: 17,021 km.
- Airborne time = that distance ÷ 805 km/h, a representative jet cruise speed: 21h 09m.
- Add a flat 25 minutes for pushback, taxi, climb, descent and taxi-in — the reason a 400 km hop is never half an hour: 21h 34m gate to gate.
- Winds, aircraft type and airline schedule padding are not modelled. The cruise-speed table shows how much that assumption is worth.
17,021 km / 805 km/h = 21h 09m airborne
+ 25 min ground = 21h 34m gate to gate
SOURCE·OurAirports + great-circle computation·REVIEWED JUL 2026
The same route, plotted on a world grid
The strip above gives the route its length and its shape. This gives it a position: latitude and longitude only, no coastlines, because a hand-drawn coastline would be decoration pretending to be data. On a flat grid the shortest path looks bent; on a globe it is straight.
Flight time at different cruise speeds
Aircraft type, winds and routing all move the real number. This is the same distance flown at different speeds, plus the 25-minute ground and climb allowance.
| Typical of | Cruise speed | Airborne | Gate to gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turboprop / regional | 550 km/h | 30h 57m | 31h 22m |
| Narrowbody jet (A320, 737) | 780 km/h | 21h 49m | 22h 15m |
| Widebody jet (777, 787, A350) | 900 km/h | 18h 55m | 19h 20m |
| Private jet (Gulfstream) | 850 km/h | 20h 02m | 20h 27m |
Headwinds on an eastbound long-haul routinely add 30–60 minutes; the same route westbound can be quicker. Airlines publish schedules with padding built in.
SOURCE·OurAirports + great-circle computation·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Both airports
| LGW | SYD | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | London Gatwick Airport | Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport |
| City | London | Sydney (Mascot) |
| Country | United Kingdom | Australia |
| ICAO | EGKK | YSSY |
| Coordinates | 51.1487, -0.1857 | -33.9461, 151.177 |
| Elevation | 202 ft | 21 ft |
Every figure on this plate is geometry. The shape of the earth is knowable; the airline's schedule is not.
Questions this plate answers
How long is the flight from London to Sydney (Mascot)?
A non-stop flight from London (LGW) to Sydney (Mascot) (SYD) takes about 21h 34m. The great-circle distance is 17,021 km (10,577 miles, 9,191 nautical miles), flying north-east on an initial bearing of 61°.
How far is London from Sydney (Mascot)?
17,021 kilometres in a straight line over the earth's surface — 10,577 miles or 9,191 nautical miles. Actual flown distance is usually 2–5% longer because aircraft follow airways, avoid weather and route around restricted airspace.
Is there a non-stop flight between LGW and SYD?
This page calculates the direct-line time and distance; it does not track airline schedules. At 17,021 km the route is at the extreme end of what any airliner can fly non-stop, so a connection is likely. Check an airline or booking site for what is actually scheduled.
What should I expect on a 21h 34m flight?
Anything past six hours is a long-haul flight: expect at least one meal service, a significant time-zone shift, and enough sitting that circulation and hydration start to matter. Cabin altitude, dry air and disrupted sleep do more damage to a training routine than the flight itself.
Airport coordinates from OurAirports (public domain). Distance is a great-circle calculation; flight time uses the model described on the method page. Flight times are great-circle estimates for planning only — always check the airline's published schedule.
