Sydney to London flight path: SYD to LHR

Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Sydney to London. The left side wins primarily on departure quality — Sydney Harbour and the Blue Mountains provide a rare, dramatic urban-and-mountain sequence rarely matched during the long oceanic and desert cruise segments that dominate this ultra-long-haul route.

During takeoff from Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Departures from Sydney typically climb out over Botany Bay before banking west, giving left-side passengers a sweeping view of Sydney Harbour, the CBD skyline and the Blue Mountains escarpment as the aircraft turns toward the interior. Notable sights include: Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Botany Bay, Blue Mountains.

When landing at Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Right side for the best views. Arrivals from the east into Heathrow typically pass north of central London before turning onto final approach for the westerly runways, giving right-side passengers a view over the Thames, Canary Wharf and the City skyline shortly before touchdown. Notable sights include: River Thames, Canary Wharf towers, The Shard, Central London skyline.

The flight from Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) to Heathrow (LHR) takes 19h 20m.

The route crosses the Indian Ocean, the Indonesian archipelago near Java, the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Peninsula's desert interior, and the eastern Mediterranean before continuing over Europe toward the UK.