London to Shanghai (Minhang)
11h 52mgate to gate
The flight from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) covers 9,212 km (5,724 miles) and takes approximately 11h 52m gate to gate for a typical jet.
The route heads north-east on an initial great-circle bearing of 47°, passing near 60.1° N, 76.2° E at its midpoint.
Bearing 47° north-east Midpoint 60.1° N, 76.2° 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: 9,212 km.
- Airborne time = that distance ÷ 805 km/h, a representative jet cruise speed: 11h 27m.
- Add a flat 25 minutes for pushback, taxi, climb, descent and taxi-in — the reason a 400 km hop is never half an hour: 11h 52m gate to gate.
- Winds, aircraft type and airline schedule padding are not modelled. The cruise-speed table shows how much that assumption is worth.
9,212 km / 805 km/h = 11h 27m airborne
+ 25 min ground = 11h 52m 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 | 16h 45m | 17h 10m |
| Narrowbody jet (A320, 737) | 780 km/h | 11h 49m | 12h 14m |
| Widebody jet (777, 787, A350) | 900 km/h | 10h 14m | 10h 39m |
| Private jet (Gulfstream) | 850 km/h | 10h 50m | 11h 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 | SHA | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | London Heathrow Airport | Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport |
| City | London | Shanghai (Minhang) |
| Country | United Kingdom | China |
| ICAO | EGLL | ZSSS |
| Coordinates | 51.4707, -0.4599 | 31.1981, 121.3343 |
| 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 Shanghai (Minhang)?
A non-stop flight from London (LHR) to Shanghai (Minhang) (SHA) takes about 11h 52m. The great-circle distance is 9,212 km (5,724 miles, 4,974 nautical miles), flying north-east on an initial bearing of 47°.
How far is London from Shanghai (Minhang)?
9,212 kilometres in a straight line over the earth's surface — 5,724 miles or 4,974 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 SHA?
This page calculates the direct-line time and distance; it does not track airline schedules. At 9,212 km the route is comfortably within range of a non-stop service if an airline chooses to fly it. Check an airline or booking site for what is actually scheduled.
What should I expect on a 11h 52m 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.
