Copyright Simple Flying
Travel to London Heathrow Airport is kept under a tight schedule, being one of the most congested airports in the world. The airport, owned by Heathrow Airport Holdings, is one of six airports serving Greater London, and the airport is one of the busiest in Europe and the world by number of passengers carried, and the second busiest by international traffic (only after Dubai International Airport). The airport is the primary hub for British flag carrier British Airways and the main hub for Virgin Atlantic. Starting back in 1930 as a small airfield, the airport has now ballooned into an integral part of international aviation. The airport runs its schedule to the second, and the thousands of staff who all play a part in ensuring the airport runs smoothly 365 days a year, have noted that 'if Heathrow sneezes, the world catches a cold'. LHR sees a range of aircraft operating to the airport, from airplanes as small as the Airbus A319, and all the way through to the Airbus A380; however, what are the longest journeys possible from the airport onboard one of the most popular widebody aircraft of all time, the Boeing 777-300ER? London Heathrow Airport Many airlines and aircraft serve the UK's busiest airport, with 89 airlines connecting passengers to up to 214 destinations across 84 countries. There are four main passenger terminals (2 to 5), these include the Queens Terminal (Terminal 2 - Star Alliance), Terminal 3 (American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta, Emirates, Iberia, Qantas, and Virgin Atlantic), Terminal 4 ( including Air France, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Saudia, and China Southern), and Terminal 5 (British Airways, and select Iberia flights). While Heathrow is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, flights only operate between 06:00 and 23:00 due to strict curfews imposed on the airport, as it is surrounded by residential areas. This means that airport security usually opens daily at 04:30 for passengers to pass through for flights. The airport is currently working through a long, complicated process to expand its operations and optimize its capabilities with the addition of a third runway. This analysis will look at some of the most popular flights in 2025 that were operated by the 777-300ER, the largest 777 type currently in service. Leading carriers in this market include British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways (ANA), and EVA Air, so where are they flying to? Simple Flying will look into the numbers using data from Cirium, an online aviation analytics company. The Longest Flight On A 777-300ER From LHR Holding the title of the longest flight available with a Boeing 777-300ER from London Heathrow (LHR) is tied between British Airways and Singapore Airlines, both of which operate the aircraft between Heathrow and Singapore Changi Airport(SIN). Covering a distance of 6,764 miles (10,822 kilometers), it takes a total flight time of 13 hours and 15 minutes. The airlines, which will operate more than 1,000 services between them across the year, connect these two key international cities. In 2024, SQ plans to operate a total of 784 nonstop flights with the 777-300ER between LHR and SIN, averaging more than 2 per day. This compares with British Airways, which will operate a more modest 321 nonstop flights, equating to around six per week. All up, this will add more than 300,000 seats between the two cities. It's worth noting that not only do BA and SQ fly the 777-300ER on the route, but also additional aircraft, including the BA 787, and SQ A380, alongside Qantas, which also deploys its A380 between Singapore and London as part of a fifth freedom service it adds as part of the 'Kangaroo Route' between Sydney and the UK. The popularity of travel between London and Singapore stems from strong economic and historical ties. Singapore is a major global financial hub, alongside it is an attractive destination for tourists when making a long trip to Oceania (Australia and New Zealand). The three airlines operating between London and Singapore add thousands of seats daily for the long line of travelers. Covering more than 6,700 miles, it remains the longest 777-300ER flight in this analysis. Next Up? Hong Kong The Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, offers the second-longest 777-300ER flight from LHR in 2025. Covering a distance of 5,995 miles (9,592 kilometers), just one carrier operates the route with the 777: Cathay Pacific. The flag carrier of Hong Kong (CX) operates several UK-bound services from the airport, including year-round flights to Heathrow and Manchester. This year, Cathay has scheduled a total of 1,007 services between LHR and Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), an average of 2.7 per day, or 19 per week. The service has an estimated flight time of 12 hours and 40 minutes gate to gate. Across 2025, Cathay will add a total of 319,719 available seats, more than any other carrier. Just two airlines connect London and Hong Kong: Cathay Pacific and British Airways. Cathay Pacific flies not only its 777-300ER, but also the A350-900 and A350-1000, while British Airways deploys its A350-1000 on the popular route. Historically, British Airways also flew its Airbus A380 to Hong Kong; however, this double-decker service was shelved during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonstop 777-300ER Flights To Table Mountain Nonstop flights to the Western Cape are provided by British Airways' year-round nonstop service to Cape Town International Airport (CPT). The flight to South Africa's second-largest city will operate a total of 155 times in 2025 —approximately twice per week —onboard the 777-300ER, with an estimated flight time of 11 hours, 40 minutes. The route covers 5,994 miles (9,590 kilometers). British Airways not only sends its 777-300ER from Heathrow to Cape Town, but also operates several other flights across the year with the 777-200ER, and seasonal services from London Gatwick (LGW). The only other direct competition is seasonal services provided by Virgin Atlantic (Heathrow) and Norse Atlantic (Gatwick). Travel between London and South Africa remains popular year-round due to strong historical and economic ties. South Africa is a key tourist destination for UK-based travelers, and many South Africans now call the United Kingdom home. British Airways not only serves Cape Town as part of its South African network, but also offers nonstop flights to Johannesburg O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB). Historically, BA also flew to Durban King Shaka International Airport (DUR); however, this route was axed during the COVID-19 Pandemic. and yet to resume. Fly Me To Japan In 2025, not one but two airlines have scheduled the 777-300ER between London Heathrow and Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND). All Nippon Airways (ANA) will operate its 777-300ER daily on the route, while Japan Airlines (JAL) has a single 777-300ER flight scheduled. ANA will provide a total of 77,380 available seats on the route in each direction, which translates to 462,268,120 ASMs, while JAL is more modest with just 1,457,656, given its solo service. This route covers 5,974 miles (9,558 kilometers). It goes without saying that Japan Airlines operates additional daily services between LHR and HND, albeit with different aircraft (specifically the Airbus A350-1000 and Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner). British Airways also serves the airport pair with its Boeing 787-9, which operates daily. Tokyo is the most populous city in Asia, with an estimated metropolitan population of around 37 million (almost four times that of London). The city is served by its two international airports: Haneda (HND) and Narita (NRT). No other carrier provides nonstop services from London to NRT; however, other European carriers serving the city's second airport include Austrian (Vienna - seasonal), Finnair (Helsinki), Iberia (Madrid), KLM (Amsterdam), LOT Polish Airways (Warsaw), SWISS (Zurich), and Turkish Airlines (Istanbul). Other Notable Mentions Nonstop flights with the 777-300ER from Heathrow to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) are provided year-round by Thai Airways and EVA Air. The latter operates the flight as a fifth-freedom service for its one-stop Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) to London service. The airport pair covers a distance of 5,957 miles (9,531 kilometers), with an estimated flight time of 13 hours, 25 minutes. Thai Airways flies the service twice daily, while EVA connects the two cities just once per day. China Eastern also features in this analysis with its 777-300ER flights between London and Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG). The flight is scheduled to operate a total of 424 times, covering a distance of 5,755 miles (9,208 kilometers), and will add 133,340 total available seats in each direction. This represents a total ASMs of 767,371,700.
