China launches longest nonstop flight

By Alimat Aliyeva

China Eastern Airlines, one of China’s three largest carriers, has inaugurated the world’s longest direct scheduled flight, connecting Shanghai and Buenos Aires, Azernews reports.

The inaugural flight took off on December 4 from Shanghai Pudong International Airport and arrived in the Argentine capital after approximately 25 hours in the air, covering a distance of 20,000 kilometers.

The route includes a two-hour stop in Auckland, New Zealand, where passengers can stretch their legs and relax. Despite this brief layover, the flight is considered direct, as the same aircraft and flight number are used for the entire journey. It is not classified as a non-stop flight, which, by international aviation standards, requires no intermediate stops at all.

This new southern route offers a significant improvement over the traditional northern route, which typically takes around 30 hours and requires multiple layovers in Europe or North America. The Shanghai–Auckland–Buenos Aires flight not only shortens total travel time but also provides the only direct air link between Argentina and the Asia-Pacific region, making it one of the rare intercontinental flights operating entirely in the Southern Hemisphere.

The service will operate twice a week using a Boeing 777-300ER. One-way economy fares for December range from $1,538 to $2,270, while business class tickets start at $5,000.

For context, the current longest non-stop flight is operated by Singapore Airlines, connecting Singapore Changi Airport with New York’s JFK Airport. That route spans 15,349 kilometers and lasts over 18 hours, making the Shanghai–Buenos Aires service significantly longer in distance and duration.

Aviation experts say that this new route could redefine long-haul travel in the Southern Hemisphere, offering travelers a faster and more direct connection between Asia and South America than ever before.