London to Auckland
23h 14mgate to gate
The flight from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Auckland International Airport (AKL) covers 18,364 km (11,411 miles) and takes approximately 23h 14m gate to gate for a typical jet.
The route heads north on an initial great-circle bearing of 15°, passing near 44.3° N, 158.6° E at its midpoint.
Bearing 15° north Midpoint 44.3° N, 158.6° 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: 18,364 km.
- Airborne time = that distance ÷ 805 km/h, a representative jet cruise speed: 22h 49m.
- Add a flat 25 minutes for pushback, taxi, climb, descent and taxi-in — the reason a 400 km hop is never half an hour: 23h 14m gate to gate.
- Winds, aircraft type and airline schedule padding are not modelled. The cruise-speed table shows how much that assumption is worth.
18,364 km / 805 km/h = 22h 49m airborne
+ 25 min ground = 23h 14m 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 | 33h 23m | 33h 49m |
| Narrowbody jet (A320, 737) | 780 km/h | 23h 33m | 23h 58m |
| Widebody jet (777, 787, A350) | 900 km/h | 20h 24m | 20h 49m |
| Private jet (Gulfstream) | 850 km/h | 21h 36m | 22h 02m |
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
| LHR | AKL | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | London Heathrow Airport | Auckland International Airport |
| City | London | Auckland |
| Country | United Kingdom | New Zealand |
| ICAO | EGLL | NZAA |
| Coordinates | 51.4707, -0.4599 | -37.012, 174.7863 |
| Elevation | 83 ft | 23 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 Auckland?
A non-stop flight from London (LHR) to Auckland (AKL) takes about 23h 14m. The great-circle distance is 18,364 km (11,411 miles, 9,916 nautical miles), flying north on an initial bearing of 15°.
How far is London from Auckland?
18,364 kilometres in a straight line over the earth's surface — 11,411 miles or 9,916 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 LHR and AKL?
This page calculates the direct-line time and distance; it does not track airline schedules. At 18,364 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 23h 14m 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.
