China Eastern Airlines has launched what is being dubbed the world’s longest “direct flight,” connecting Shanghai to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The record-breaking journey, which is set to begin on December 4, 2025, will take approximately 29 hours.
Technical Stop in New Zealand
While classified as a direct flight, the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will make a two-hour technical stop in Auckland, New Zealand. The stop is for refueling and crew change, but because the flight will maintain the same flight number, it is categorized as “direct” under aviation rules. The outbound flight from Shanghai to Buenos Aires is expected to take around 25.5 hours, with the return trip extending to 29 hours due to headwinds.
The new route is expected to significantly reduce travel time compared to existing routes via Europe or North America, which can take up to 31 hours. China Eastern has described this new route as a new “Air Silk Road channel” between the Asia-Pacific region and South America.
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This post was published on 25 September 2025 10:36 pm