- Flight
- about 10 to 11 hours westbound
- Departs
- Chennai International
- Lands at
- Heathrow
- Time difference
- London is 4.5 to 5.5 hours behind
- Currency
- Pounds sterling, in cash
Chennai to London is about ten to eleven hours if you can find a nonstop, and a good deal more if you cannot. London is four and a half to five and a half hours behind.
Fewer nonstops than Delhi or Mumbai
Chennai has fewer direct services to London than the two bigger cities, so a fair share of travellers connect, usually through Delhi, Mumbai or the Gulf. The total can run past fifteen hours. If time matters, check whether a nonstop is available on your dates before you book anything else.
Pack for the swing
Chennai heat to a London evening is a larger change than most people allow for, in any month. Carry a proper layer in your cabin bag, not in the hold.
The flight home
The flight home is the quicker one. Heading east you have the jet stream behind you rather than against you, which is worth about an hour on a route this long, so London back to Chennai is shorter than the flight you took to get here. Pleasant, and easy to forget when you are working out how much of the day the return will eat.
Before you book
Most visitors travelling on an Indian passport need a Standard Visitor visa before they fly. Applications take time and carry a fee, so settle it before you buy a ticket you cannot change. The official check if you need a UK visa service tells you what applies to your passport.
Worth reading first
The visitor guide covers the etiquette, and the UK law guide covers the position in England and Wales.
When to get in touch
London runs 5 hours behind you. Messages sent between about 4pm and 4am your time land during London working hours, which is when replies actually come. For most people that is the evening and the night, so send in the evening and expect the answer to be waiting when you wake.
Areas near where you land at Heathrow
The big figure is the straight line distance from the airport in miles, and nothing about travel time, which in London is always longer. Each page has the stations, the route from Heathrow and the measured rates.
Also close to where you land, with no profiles of their own but a guide to getting there and how outcall works: Feltham, Hayes, Hounslow, Southall.
Other cities in India
See every departure city
Cities with a similar flight time
Common questions
How long is the flight from Chennai to London?
The flight from Chennai International takes about 10 to 11 hours westbound. Add the connection time if your fare has a stop, and allow for getting to and through the airport at both ends.
What is the time difference between Chennai and London?
London is 4.5 to 5.5 hours behind. The United Kingdom and most other countries change their clocks on different dates, so for a few weeks each spring and autumn the gap shifts by an hour.
What time should I message from Chennai?
London runs 5 hours behind you. Messages sent between about 4pm and 4am your time land during London working hours, which is when replies actually come. For most people that is the evening and the night, so send in the evening and expect the answer to be waiting when you wake.
Which London airport do flights from Chennai land at?
Most land at Heathrow, about fifteen miles west of central London and on the Piccadilly line and the Elizabeth line. Some services use Gatwick, to the south, so check the airport on your ticket before you book a hotel.
Do I need a visa to fly from Chennai to London?
Most visitors travelling on an Indian passport need a Standard Visitor visa. Use the official GOV.UK check if you need a UK visa service for your own passport, and apply well before you book flights you cannot change.
Do I need to arrange things before I fly?
It helps. Good diaries fill days ahead, and arranging from home means you are doing it awake and unhurried instead of jet lagged in an unfamiliar city.
Is escorting legal in the UK?
Yes, in England and Wales it is legal for two consenting adults to exchange sex or company for money. What is illegal is the activity around it, such as soliciting in the street, running a brothel or controlling someone else's work. The Crown Prosecution Service sets this out in its published guidance.
Is prostitution legal in the UK?
Selling and buying sex between consenting adults is not itself a crime in England, Wales or Scotland. Northern Ireland is the exception, where paying for sex has been an offence since 1 June 2015. Public soliciting, brothel keeping and exploiting another person's work are offences in different forms across the UK.