About This Route
Which side of the plane should I sit on flying from Helsinki Vantaa (HEL) to New Tokyo International (NRT)?
Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Helsinki to Tokyo. Left side wins both ends of the flight. At takeoff you get Helsinki's coastline and archipelago, and at landing you get Tokyo Bay and the Chiba coastal approach. Over the polar route mid-flight, left side also faces slightly more toward the Siberian river systems and Sakhalin Island as the aircraft curves south.
What can I see during takeoff from Helsinki Vantaa in Helsinki?
During takeoff from Helsinki Vantaa (HEL), sit on the Left side for the best views. Helsinki Vantaa's primary departure runways 22L/22R send aircraft southwest, putting the left side over the Helsinki city center, the South Harbour, and the archipelago islands of the Gulf of Finland. The right side faces open farmland and forest with little of interest. Notable sights include: Helsinki city center and Senate Square area, South Harbour and Market Square waterfront, Gulf of Finland archipelago islands, Suomenlinna sea fortress island.
What can I see when landing at New Tokyo International in Tokyo?
When landing at New Tokyo International (NRT), sit on the Left side for the best views. NRT's primary landing runways 34L/34R bring aircraft in from the south heading north, placing the left side over the Pacific coastline of Chiba Prefecture and Tokyo Bay. You get a clear view of Tokyo Bay, the bay's industrial waterfront, and on clear days the distant Boso Peninsula coastline. Notable sights include: Tokyo Bay and its industrial waterfront, Chiba Prefecture coastal lowlands, Narita city and surrounding agricultural patchwork, Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line bridge-tunnel visible on clear days.
How long is the flight from Helsinki to Tokyo?
The flight from Helsinki Vantaa (HEL) to New Tokyo International (NRT) takes Approximately 9 to 10 hours.
What does the Helsinki to Tokyo flight path pass over?
The route follows a polar great-circle path northeast over the Gulf of Finland, then across St. Petersburg's region, over the Ural Mountains (a broad low ridge visible as a wrinkled terrain change), across the vast West Siberian Plain with its enormous river systems including the Ob and Yenisei, then over Lake Baikal (one of the most visually striking features, a long narrow dark-blue slash in the landscape), across the Stanovoy Range into the Russian Far East, over Sakhalin Island, the Sea of Japan, and finally descending over the Kanto Plain toward Narita.