China Eastern Airlines opened ticket sales for a twice-weekly service linking Shanghai and Buenos Aires, with the inaugural flight scheduled for December 4, 2025, and marketed as the world’s longest direct commercial journey, according to Travel And Tour World. The carrier said the service would operate under a single flight number and aircraft and include a technical stop in Auckland, New Zealand.
The Independent reported the trip would take about 29 hours and cover nearly 19,700 kilometers (12,229 miles).
The flight will depart Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) for Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) and be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER with 316 seats, including 258 in economy. The airline plans to keep the same aircraft and flight number across the Auckland stop to maintain a ‘direct’ classification. According to international aviation standards, a direct flight can include stops if passengers do not change airplanes and the flight number remains the same.
Reports differ on whether passengers will be able to disembark during the refueling and checks stop in Auckland; some outlets said travelers could stretch their legs, while others said it is unlikely. The Auckland halt will also allow for crew changes and operational inspections.
The airline chose a southerly routing over remote waters near Antarctica and describes the itinerary as a direct bridge between East Asia and South America that reduces travel complexity and shortens total travel time by at least four hours compared with itineraries via Europe or North America. Competing Shanghai-Buenos Aires options being offered by European carriers typically involve one or more stops and take around 31 hours.
China Eastern promotes the Shanghai-Auckland-Buenos Aires service as the world’s first commercial connection between antipodal cities. Aviation observers noted that this made it among the longest commercial journeys available.
The route’s classification prompted debate. While the airline labeled it the longest direct flight, industry experts said the title of longest nonstop remains with Singapore Airlines’ Changi-New York JFK service, which covers about 15,349 kilometers in over 18 hours without interruption.
Tickets are advertised with one-way economy fares between $1,538 and $2,270. In business class, tickets cשמ exceed $5,000, depending on date and availability.
“The Shanghai Pudong-Auckland-Buenos Aires route is seen as an important measure to build a new ‘Air Silk Road’ channel between Asia-Pacific and South America,” the airline said. Analysts and tourism officials in the region expected the link to strengthen trade and business ties between China and Argentina and to improve connectivity with neighboring markets in Chile and Uruguay.
The new route enters a competitive field of ultra-long-haul ambitions. Qantas’ Project Sunrise aims to develop aircraft and onboard layouts more favorable to rest on flights of about 20 hours, with plans to launch nonstop services from Sydney to London and New York in 2027.
The preparation of this article relied on a news-analysis system.