Tenerife to London flight path: TFS to LGW

Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Tenerife to London. The left side wins because of the dramatic volcanic departure past Mount Teide and likely views of Madeira and the Portuguese coastline during the early cruise phase, while the right side is dominated by open Atlantic water for most of the flight with only a brief distant skyline glimpse on arrival.

During takeoff from Tenerife Sur (TFS), sit on the Left side for the best views. Departing TFS on runway 07 the aircraft climbs northeast, and Mount Teide's volcanic cone and the dark lava fields of Tenerife's interior fall on the left side of the aircraft as it banks away from the coast. The south Tenerife coastline and Los Cristianos/Costa Adeje resort belt are also visible briefly below. Notable sights include: Mount Teide volcano, Tenerife's volcanic interior, Costa Adeje coastline, Atlantic shoreline of southern Tenerife.

When landing at Gatwick (LGW), sit on the Right side for the best views. On the typical descent into Gatwick's runway 26 from the south, the aircraft turns onto final approach heading west, putting London to the north on the right side. In clear weather, the city's skyline, including the Shard and City towers, can appear as a distant cluster on the horizon before the aircraft settles over the patchwork farmland and wooded hills of Surrey and Sussex. Notable sights include: Distant London skyline (Shard, City towers), Surrey/Sussex farmland patchwork, North Downs ridgeline, Gatwick's surrounding woodland.

The flight from Tenerife Sur (TFS) to Gatwick (LGW) takes about 4 hours 25 minutes. The shortest flight path between them is 1,810 miles (2,913 km); winds and air traffic control usually add a few percent.

Open Atlantic Ocean west of Morocco and Portugal, with the Madeira archipelago and the Portuguese coastline near Porto passing to the west before the route crosses the Bay of Biscay toward southern England.