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Flying from London to Mumbai?

Add a departure date and see which side gets the sun.

About this route

LondonMumbai

A long flight from United Kingdom to India. Mumbai is 4½ hours ahead. Note the unusual time zone offset when adjusting your watch.

Route type International
Distance 7,213 km / 4,482 mi
Distance class Long-haul
Direction East-southeast
Est. duration About 8h 25m
Time change Destination +4h 30m

This route crosses the Tropic of Cancer, the northernmost latitude where the sun passes directly overhead.

Departing from

LHR

London Heathrow Airport

Location London, United Kingdom
Time zone GMT+1 · UTC+1
Current time

A capital of villages

London is a vast, low-slung capital that grew by absorbing villages, so it reads as dozens of distinct neighborhoods rather than one grid. The Underground and a dense rail network make it a transit city at heart; in the center a car is a liability, discouraged by narrow streets and the congestion charge. The landmarks and business districts cluster in the middle, but much of London is the high streets and parks further out. It is large, so crossing town takes longer than the map suggests.

City access

Heathrow is the main airport, west of London and among the busiest in Europe. It has a fast dedicated rail link to the center and is also on the Underground, so reaching the city without a car is straightforward. Allow extra time at peak hours, both on the roads and through its large terminals.

Nearby airports

41 km / 25 mi

Surrounding hubs

350 km / 217 mi
365 km / 227 mi
370 km / 230 mi

Arriving at

BOM

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport

Location Mumbai, India
Time zone GMT+5:30 · UTC+5:30
Current time

The city of seven islands

Mumbai was built by joining seven islands into a single peninsula on India's west coast, and that reclaimed, narrow geography still shapes the city: it runs in a long north-south strip with the sea on multiple sides. Mumbai's suburban rail network is the backbone of daily life, carrying millions a day, and a metro line opened directly into Terminal 2 in 2024, giving the airport its first rail link. Monsoon season, roughly June to September, brings intense rain that can flood low-lying streets and slow the entire city. It is India's financial and entertainment capital, home to Bollywood, and one of the most densely populated cities on Earth.

Surrounding hubs

1,590 km / 988 mi
1,592 km / 989 mi
1,608 km / 999 mi
How it works

Find out which side of the plane to sit on.

Pick your airports, set your departure time, and you're done.

We calculate the sun's position based on your flight path and departure time, then tell you which side of the plane gets direct sun and which stays shaded. No guessing, just math.

01

Enter your flight

Pick your departure and arrival airports and set your departure time at the departure airport. FlightSide estimates the duration and you can adjust it if you know the exact schedule.

02

We track the sun along your route

Your flight path is broken into hundreds of points. At each one we check where the sun is and which side of the plane it faces.

03

You get a recommendation

Which side of the plane to sit on, left or right, depending on whether you'd rather avoid the sun or enjoy it. The percentages and the map are there if you want to see why.

Want to go deeper? Accuracy, edge cases, polar routes — see the FAQ →

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