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Flights Cape Town → London

CPT → LHR

11h
Flight time
12.9
Average risk (Low)
91%
On-time
-1 min
Average delay
0.0%
Cancellations
3
Airlines

How long is the flight from Cape Town to London?

The flight from Cape Town (CPT) to London (LHR) takes 11h on average. That is the median time recorded across 1 scheduled flight on this leg; the actual time varies by a few minutes with wind, routing and take-off queues.

Route overview

The flight route from Cape Town to London operates with a high on-time performance rate of 91%, with an average arrival time that is slightly ahead of schedule by -0.5 minutes. Over the course of a year, this route sees around thirteen flights using aircraft such as Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 777, serving a destination airport that accommodates nearly eighty-three million passengers annually.

Your rights on this US flight (DOT)

US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under the US DOT rules, if your flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Amenities for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.

US flight refund rules & checker →

General information, not legal advice.

The Cape Town (CPT) → London (LHR) route is operated by American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia Airlines. Across 27 flights monitored in recent months, 91% arrived on time (within 15 min of schedule), with an average delay of -1 minutes. The cancellation rate is 0.00%. FlightGuard's average computed risk is 12.9/100 (low), updated in real time from weather, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel and flight history. At London the average ATFM delay is 1.8 minutes (main cause: atfm). Departing from Cape Town the average ATFM delay is 2.5 minutes.

Heading to London: what to expect in this direction

Flying from Cape Town (CPT) to London (LHR) heads north for about 9,682 km, a flight time of roughly 11h 0m.

Departures from Cape Town on this leg cluster in the evening window: about 100% of CPT-LHR flights take off then.

Air-traffic congestion: departing Cape Town the average ATFM delay is 2.5 min (atfm); arriving into London it is 1.8 min (atfm).

Across 27 tracked CPT-LHR flights, 91% left on time with an average delay of -1 min and a 0.0% cancellation rate.

Route facts

Time difference
1h behind
Arrival (dest. local time)
00:00
Elevation LHR
83 ft
Typical aircraft
Boeing 747-400, Boeing 777
Est. CO₂/passenger
~871 kg

Flights on this route

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Airline punctuality on this route

Airline On-time Average delay Cancellations
Iberia Airlines (IB) 87% 20 min 1.2%
American Airlines (AA) 79% 6 min 1.1%
British Airways (BA) 66% 31 min 1.3%

Frequently asked questions about CPT-LHR

The flight from Cape Town (CPT) to London (LHR) takes 11h on average. That is the median time recorded across 1 scheduled flight on this leg; the actual time varies by a few minutes with wind, routing and take-off queues.

On the Cape Town (CPT) -> London (LHR) route, on-time performance is 91% with an average delay of -1 minutes, based on 27 tracked flights.

The cancellation rate on Cape Town-London is 0.00% across 27 monitored flights.

The route is operated by 3 airlines: American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia Airlines.

Enter your flight number on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis based on 9 factors: weather at London, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel, airline punctuality and recent trends.

US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under US DOT rules, if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Meals or hotels for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.