Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Abu Dhabi. The right side wins overall for the London departure spectacle — central London from the air is genuinely one of the great urban aerial views in the world. The Abu Dhabi arrival on the left is impressive but shorter in duration. Over the cruise, the right side also catches the Zagros Mountains of Iran and parts of the Persian Gulf coastline, giving it a slight edge through the middle portion of the flight.

During takeoff from Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Right side for the best views. Heathrow typically departs eastward on runways 27L/27R (westerly wind operations) or 09L/09R heading east. On an eastbound departure toward the Middle East, the right side gives you central London — the Thames, the City, Canary Wharf towers, and the wider urban grid. Left side gets suburban west London and not much else. Notable sights include: River Thames snaking through central London, Canary Wharf tower cluster, The City of London skyline, Windsor Castle and Great Park (visible briefly to the right before the turn east).

When landing at Abu Dhabi International (AUH), sit on the Left side for the best views. Abu Dhabi International typically uses runways 13/31 or 01/19. On approach from the northwest, aircraft generally track over the Arabian Gulf and align toward the island city. The left side gives you the Abu Dhabi city island, the Corniche waterfront, and the Gulf coastline — the right side faces inland desert. Notable sights include: Abu Dhabi city island and Corniche waterfront, Arabian Gulf shallow turquoise waters, Yas Island (visible to the north), salt flat sebkha terrain fringing the coast.

The flight from Heathrow (LHR) to Abu Dhabi International (AUH) takes Approximately 6 hours 45 minutes to 7 hours 15 minutes.

The route tracks southeast across France and the Alps (visible on clear days as a broad white mountain spine), then over the Balkans and Turkey, crossing into Iran over the Zagros Mountain range — a dramatic series of parallel folded ridges clearly visible from altitude. The route then crosses the Persian Gulf, with the UAE coast and Gulf islands visible on descent. The Arabian Desert below Iran and the UAE interior shows classic erg and reg desert terrain.