London to Cairns
19h 15mgate to gate
The flight from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Cairns International Airport (CNS) covers 15,152 km (9,415 miles) and takes approximately 19h 15m gate to gate for a typical jet.
The route heads north-east on an initial great-circle bearing of 50°, passing near 41.3° N, 107.5° E at its midpoint.
Bearing 50° north-east Midpoint 41.3° N, 107.5° 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: 15,152 km.
- Airborne time = that distance ÷ 805 km/h, a representative jet cruise speed: 18h 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: 19h 15m gate to gate.
- Winds, aircraft type and airline schedule padding are not modelled. The cruise-speed table shows how much that assumption is worth.
15,152 km / 805 km/h = 18h 49m airborne
+ 25 min ground = 19h 15m 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 | 27h 33m | 27h 58m |
| Narrowbody jet (A320, 737) | 780 km/h | 19h 26m | 19h 51m |
| Widebody jet (777, 787, A350) | 900 km/h | 16h 50m | 17h 15m |
| Private jet (Gulfstream) | 850 km/h | 17h 50m | 18h 15m |
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 | CNS | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | London Heathrow Airport | Cairns International Airport |
| City | London | Cairns |
| Country | United Kingdom | Australia |
| ICAO | EGLL | YBCS |
| Coordinates | 51.4707, -0.4599 | -16.8789, 145.7495 |
| Elevation | 83 ft | 10 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 Cairns?
A non-stop flight from London (LHR) to Cairns (CNS) takes about 19h 15m. The great-circle distance is 15,152 km (9,415 miles, 8,181 nautical miles), flying north-east on an initial bearing of 50°.
How far is London from Cairns?
15,152 kilometres in a straight line over the earth's surface — 9,415 miles or 8,181 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 CNS?
This page calculates the direct-line time and distance; it does not track airline schedules. At 15,152 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 19h 15m 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.
