China Eastern Airlines opened ticket sales for what it called the world’s longest direct commercial flight, a twice-weekly service between Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Buenos Aires’ Ministro Pistarini Airport that will start on 4 December, according to The Independent.
The flight, designated MU746 southbound and MU745 northbound, will span roughly 19,700 kilometers (12,229 miles). A Boeing 777-300ER will pause for two hours in Auckland, New Zealand, to refuel and change crews while keeping the same flight number, a setup the carrier said qualifies the journey as direct.
The 316-seat aircraft includes 258 economy seats. Business-class fares begin at about $5,000 and offer lie-flat beds for up to 29 hours aloft; December economy tickets are listed between $1,538 and $2,270.
During the Auckland stop passengers are expected to leave the cabin to stretch, though Business Insider reported local authorities could still tighten the rule. New Zealand announced it would waive transit-visa requirements for Chinese nationals to support the service.
China Eastern estimated the route would cut at least four hours each way compared with current one-stop options through Europe or North America, which often take around 31 hours. The airline projected more than 65,000 seats a year, close to the 57,800 travelers who moved between China and Argentina in 2024.
Operating the run pushes the 777-300ER near its limits; the jet’s advertised range is 8,481 miles, yet headwinds on the 12,000-mile westbound leg are expected to stretch flight time to about 29 hours. The southerly path skirts Antarctic airspace, avoids crowded North Atlantic and North Pacific corridors, and creates the first commercial link between two nearly antipodal cities.
“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,” said China Eastern Airlines, according to CNN en Español. The company added that the link would deepen cultural, tourism, and business ties; trade between the two nations rose from roughly $330 million in 2002 to nearly $17.5 billion in 2022.
The marathon journey will test passenger endurance despite in-flight entertainment, multiple meals, and modern cabins. Aviation analysts said nearly 30 hours in the air can cause considerable physical stress, while the airline argued that using one aircraft and fewer time-zone changes should reduce fatigue compared with multi-stop itineraries.
Upon launch, MU746 and MU745 will overtake Singapore Airlines’ 15,300-kilometer Singapore–New York service as the longest bookable commercial journey, though the title hinges on direct rather than nonstop status. Qantas hopes to reclaim the crown in 2027 with Project Sunrise, a planned 20-hour nonstop linking Sydney with London and New York.
The preparation of this article relied on a news-analysis system.