Route guide

London Delhi

Heathrow (LHR) — Indira Gandhi International (DEL)

Eastbound

Distance: 6,740 km
Duration: 8.5h
TZ shift: 4.5h east
Best side: left

Overview

London Heathrow to Delhi — alongside LHR-BOM, the main UK-India trunk. Overnight, modest TZ shift, recoverable inside two days with light timing and a normal local bedtime.

Jet lag

4.5-hour eastward shift on an overnight from London. Sleep aligned to Delhi night; arrival-day morning light at the hotel or airport is the lever.

Estimated recovery

Without intervention ~5 days

With timed light + melatonin ~3 days

Estimates only — based on ~1 day per time zone east, compressed roughly 40% with a timed protocol. See how long jet lag actually lasts .

Build a LHR→DEL adaptation schedule

Best window side

Eastbound overnight — the left side stays out of direct sun if you wake near sunrise over Central Asia. Window matters more than side for sleep.

Typical economy row (3-3-3)

Best · Left

Middle

Right

The left window is the calmer pick on this route. For sleep, the window itself matters more than the side — see how to sleep on a long-haul. For the exact rows and seat letters on this aircraft, use the seat picker.

Cabin atmosphere

Newer types (787-9, A350-1000) are noticeably better than 777-300ER on an 8-9 hour overnight to Delhi. Worth checking the equipment at booking.

Expected cabin humidity at cruise

This route's typical aircraft ~15-20%

Indoor air at home ~40-60%

Composite-fuselage aircraft (787, A350) run higher humidity than older aluminum-fuselage types. See what the 787 actually fixes.

What to pack for this route

Read before you fly

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