China Eastern Airlines Sets A New Record With The Longest Direct Flight Ever Between Shanghai And Buenos Aires On A Twenty-nine Hour Trip

Published on September 17, 2025

China Eastern Airlines has group a caller grounds pinch nan longest nonstop formation ever betwixt Shanghai and Buenos Aires, spanning a singular twenty-nine hours. This groundbreaking travel covers complete 12,000 miles and, contempt nan Boeing 777-300ER’s maximum scope of 8,481 miles, China Eastern ensures nan formation is operational by including a refueling extremity successful Auckland, New Zealand. The cardinal logic down this accomplishment lies successful nan truth that nan hose maintains nan aforesaid craft and formation number for nan full trip, making it a nonstop flight, moreover though a stopover is involved. This caller way not only breaks aviation records but besides establishes a nonstop nexus betwixt East Asia and South America, positioning China Eastern Airlines arsenic a leader successful ultra-long-haul aerial travel.

China Eastern Airlines, a personnel of nan SkyTeam alliance, is launching nan longest formation successful nan world—an bonzer 29-hour travel connecting Shanghai (PVG) to Buenos Aires (EZE). This singular way will screen a region of 12,000 miles, posing a important situation moreover for nan Boeing 777-300ER, which has a maximum scope of 8,481 miles. To make this possible, nan formation will extremity successful Auckland, New Zealand (AKL), for refueling. Passengers will stay connected committee during nan two-hour stop, arsenic they won’t beryllium allowed to disembark.

Although nan formation includes a extremity successful Auckland, it will still beryllium recognized arsenic nan longest nonstop formation globally. The formation will run nether nan aforesaid craft and formation number passim nan full journey. However, since it’s not a nonstop flight, it will not beryllium classified arsenic nan world’s longest nonstop flight.

Flight Schedule

China Eastern Airlines will statesman operating this way connected December 4, 2025, pinch flights moving doubly a week. Flight MU745 departs Shanghai for Auckland astatine 2:00 AM China Standard Time (CST) connected Mondays and Thursdays, arriving successful Auckland astatine 6:30 PM New Zealand Standard Time (NZST). After a two-hour stopover for refueling, nan formation will proceed to Buenos Aires, departing Auckland astatine 8:55 PM NZST and arriving successful Buenos Aires astatine 4:55 PM Argentina Time (ART).

Flight MU746, returning from Buenos Aires, departs astatine 2:00 AM ART connected Tuesdays and Fridays. The formation arrives successful Auckland astatine 8:40 AM NZST nan adjacent time earlier heading to Shanghai. It departs Auckland astatine 10:40 AM NZST and lands successful Shanghai astatine 6:00 AM CST nan pursuing morning.

Ticket prices for this groundbreaking travel are not inexpensive. One-way system people tickets are priced betwixt \$1,538 and \$2,270, while business people tickets pinch a lie-flat spot costs astatine slightest \$5,000 one-way. Passengers consenting to strengthen nan agelong travel successful comfortableness tin opt for nan business people experience, which offers a much relaxing recreation option.

Connecting China to South America

This caller way marks China Eastern’s first-ever nonstop work to South America. While China Eastern is breaking caller ground, it’s not nan only hose pinch flights connecting China to nan South American continent. Air China presently operates a work from Beijing (PEK) to São Paulo (GRU), which includes a extremity successful Madrid (MAD). Air China’s way is different long-distance connection, though it follows a different path.

In nan past, airlines attempted a nonstop way complete Antarctica betwixt Auckland and Buenos Aires, but this work was discontinued. Aerolineas Argentinas ran nan way until 2012, aft which Air New Zealand concisely took complete earlier suspending it during nan pandemic. Today, LATAM Airlines connects Santiago, Chile (SCL) to Auckland, continuing to Sydney (SYD).

The Shanghai-Buenos Aires relationship could beryllium driven by various strategical factors, including nan anticipation of creating a 5th state nexus betwixt Buenos Aires and Auckland, a way that has seen humanities demand. This move could fortify tourism, trade, and acquisition ties betwixt nan 2 regions. The summation of this caller work will besides service nan important South American organization domiciled successful New Zealand.

Economic Impact and Strategic Goals

Auckland Airport officials constituent retired that astir 40,000 South Americans unrecorded successful New Zealand, and nan caller formation will importantly use tourism, trade, and world education, alongside providing a much nonstop recreation nexus for those visiting home. This formation is besides expected to thief boost nan section economy, arsenic it increases nonstop connectivity betwixt New Zealand and South America.

New Zealand’s leaders person expressed enthusiasm astir nan route’s imaginable effect connected nan country’s tourism sector. The formation is projected to make astir \$48 cardinal successful yearly visitant spending, which would support nan country’s broader economical betterment and maturation successful nan post-pandemic era.

Longest Nonstop and Direct Flights

As antecedently mentioned, nan Shanghai-Buenos Aires formation will beryllium nan longest nonstop formation successful nan world, covering 12,229 miles complete 29 hours. However, this formation won’t clasp nan title of nan world’s longest nonstop commercialized flight. Singapore Airlines presently holds that title pinch its nonstop formation from New York-JFK to Singapore (SIN), which spans 9,537 miles and takes 18 hours and 50 minutes. Another agelong way operated by Singapore Airlines covers 9,534 miles from Newark (EWR) to Singapore, pinch a recreation clip of 18 hours and 45 minutes.

While Singapore Airlines holds nan existent grounds for nan longest nonstop flights, nan institution will soon suffer this title. In early 2027, Qantas is group to motorboat its ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise flights, connecting Sydney to some London Heathrow and New York. These routes will return astir 20 hours to scope London and 18 to 19 hours to scope New York, surpassing nan existent longest nonstop flights.

Longest Nonstop Flights:

Longest Direct Flights:

China Eastern Airlines has group a caller grounds for nan longest nonstop formation ever betwixt Shanghai and Buenos Aires, covering 12,000 miles successful a 29-hour journey. The formation includes a refueling extremity successful Auckland, but it retains nan aforesaid craft and formation number throughout, making it a nonstop formation contempt nan stopover.

The Shanghai-Buenos Aires way will not only connection a caller relationship betwixt China and South America but besides reshape nan scenery of long-haul travel, marking a caller era successful world aerial recreation pinch its unprecedented magnitude and complexity.