China Eastern Airlines to Launch World’s Longest Direct Flight

China Eastern, a member of the SkyTeam alliance, is selling tickets for the world’s longest flight—a 29-hour journey from Shanghai (PVG) to Buenos Aires (EZE).

This 12,000-mile trip is quite a challenge, even for the Boeing 777-300ER, which has a maximum range of 8,481 miles. To accommodate the distance, the flight will include a refueling stop in Auckland, New Zealand (AKL), where passengers will not be allowed to disembark during the two-hour layover.

Photo: China Eastern, Boeing 777-300ER. Courtesy of John McArthur / Unsplash

This scheduled stop in Auckland will make China Eastern’s flight the longest direct flight globally, as it is conducted using the same aircraft and flight number. However, it is not classified as one of the world’s longest nonstop flights.

Schedule Details

Starting December 4, 2025, flights will be running twice a week. Flight MU745 leaves Shanghai for Auckland at 2:00 AM China Standard Time on Mondays and Thursdays, arriving in Auckland at 6:30 PM New Zealand Standard Time. After that, it heads to Buenos Aires, taking off from Auckland at 8:55 PM NZST and landing in Buenos Aires at 4:55 PM Argentina Time.

On the other hand, Flight MU746 sets off from Buenos Aires to Auckland at 2:00 AM on Tuesdays and Fridays, reaching Auckland at 8:40 AM NZST the next day. Then it makes its way back to Shanghai, departing Auckland at 10:40 AM NZST and arriving at 6:00 AM CST the following day.

Photo: Courtesy of GCMAP

The tickets for such an ordeal aren’t cheap. One-way economy class tickets currently on sale on China Eastern’s website range between $1,538 and $2,270. A lie-flat bed in business class would certainly make an extended period in the skies more bearable, but you’ll need to shell out at least $5,000 in each direction for the privilege.

Direct Link Between China and South America

China Eastern Airlines will be launching its first route to South America. However, it is not the only airline connecting China to the continent. Air China currently operates flights from Beijing (PEK) to São Paulo (GRU), which includes a stopover in Madrid (MAD). This flight is notable for being the longest direct flight in the world, taking a different path around the globe.

Additionally, there have been past attempts at a route that traverses Antarctica between Auckland and Buenos Aires. Aerolineas Argentinas operated this route until 2012, after which Air New Zealand took over in 2015, but ultimately discontinued it during the pandemic. Currently, LATAM Airlines operates flights from nearby Santiago, Chile (SCL), to Auckland, continuing on to Sydney (SYD).

As for the challenging connection between China and Argentina, it seems that China Eastern may be pursuing this route for political reasons. They might also see an opportunity to establish a fifth freedom link between Buenos Aires and Auckland, a route for which there has historically been demand.

Photo: China Eastern, Airbus A350-900. Courtesy of David Syphers / Unsplash

Auckland Airport CEO Carrie Hurihanganui noted that 40,000 South Americans reside in New Zealand. “This new service will reintroduce a direct flight connection between New Zealand and Argentina, enhancing not only tourism, trade and international education, but [also] providing another link home,” she said.

“While we have rebuilt our aviation connections with China, visitation is still recovering. Additional flights from Shanghai Pudong, a major globally connected hub, support more travelers, not just direct from China but also those connecting via Shanghai from across Asia and Europe into Auckland,” she added.

Kiwi Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was also enthusiastic. Speaking at a ceremony in Shanghai in June when the route was announced, he said, “As a country we are working hard to grow tourism back to 2019 levels and beyond, because doing so will drive economic growth right across the country. This new route is estimated to bring an additional $48 million in annual visitor spend to New Zealand.”

Longest nonstop and direct flights

As previously mentioned, the PVG-EZE route will take the title of the world’s longest direct flight. However, because it includes a stopover, it will not be considered the world’s longest nonstop commercial flight.

That title currently belongs to Singapore Airlines’ flight covering 9,537 miles, with a duration of 18 hours and 50 minutes, between New York-JFK and Singapore (SIN). This is closely followed by another route operated by the same airline, which travels 9,534 miles and takes 18 hours and 45 minutes from Newark (EWR) to Singapore.

However, Singapore Airlines will lose this title when Qantas launches its highly anticipated ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise flights directly connecting Sydney to London Heathrow (approximately 20 hours) and Sydney to New York (around 18 to 19 hours) in early 2027.

Longest nonstop flights:

Longest direct flights: