Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Antananarivo to London. The London approach on the left side delivers one of the most iconic urban aerial views in the world, with the Thames, Hyde Park, and the City skyline all clearly laid out. While the right side wins at takeoff for the Madagascar highlands, the London arrival is the highlight of this route and tips the balance to the left overall.

During takeoff from Antananarivo Ivato (TNR), sit on the Right side for the best views. Ivato airport sits on the Hauts Plateaux at around 4,200 feet elevation. Departing on runway 11 (eastward) or 29 (westward), the right side gives views over central Antananarivo city and the rice paddies and lakes of the central highlands plateau. The Lac Itasy volcanic field lies to the west and is visible on right-side seats during westward departures. Notable sights include: Antananarivo city center and Rova palace hill, central highlands rice paddy terraces, Lac Itasy volcanic crater lake region to the west, Hauts Plateaux escarpment.

When landing at Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Left side for the best views. Heathrow's dominant runway orientation is east-west (09L/27R and 09R/27L). On the standard westward approach over London, left-side seats get the Thames snaking through central London, with the City skyline, Canary Wharf cluster, and Hyde Park clearly visible before touchdown. Right-side seats face south toward suburban Surrey with far less to see. Notable sights include: River Thames through central London, Canary Wharf tower cluster, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, Windsor Castle and Windsor Great Park.

The flight from Antananarivo Ivato (TNR) to Heathrow (LHR) takes Approximately 11 to 12 hours nonstop, though many routings connect via Nairobi, Addis Ababa, or Paris adding 3 to 5 hours.

The route tracks northward over the Mozambique Channel, crosses the East African coast near Tanzania or Kenya, overflies the Ethiopian Highlands and the Horn of Africa, then crosses the Arabian Peninsula or Red Sea region, continues over Egypt and the Nile Delta, crosses the Mediterranean Sea, and enters Europe over France before descending into London. The Nile River and its delta are often visible in daylight, as is the Red Sea if routing goes that way.