China Eastern launches world's longest flight route from Shanghai to Argentina

(ECNS) -- With 282 passengers on board, China Eastern Airlines launched its new service to Buenos Aires via Auckland on Thursday. Flight MU745 took off from Shanghai Pudong Airport at 2:19 a.m., marking the opening of the world's longest single-flight journey.

It represents a flight route of approximately 20,000 kilometers involving three continents, reducing travel time between China and South America by more than four hours, the airline said.

The newly launched route is scheduled to operate two round trips per week using Boeing 777-300 wide-body aircraft. In addition to setting a global record for flight distance, the new service fills the gap in direct flights from Shanghai to major South American cities. It establishes a "southern corridor" flight path across the Pacific, reshaping air travel connectivity among three continents.

China Eastern Airlines said that compared with the traditional "northern corridor" involving transfers in Europe, the Middle East, or North America, the "southern corridor" via New Zealand offers not only a shorter distance and reduced travel time but also more convenient transit visa policies and a smaller time difference.

The inaugural flight was nearly fully booked, it said.

In addition, this globally longest single-flight route has successfully obtained Fifth Freedom traffic rights, allowing the flight to pick up and drop off passengers and cargo during its stopover in Auckland, which also provides China, New Zealand, and Argentina with better logistics options.

With the launch of this route, high-value agricultural products such as beef and wine from New Zealand and Argentina can enter the Chinese market more quickly, while Chinese daily necessities, electronics, and precision instruments can now reach South America directly. Passengers transiting through Auckland can travel to all three countries with a single ticket, making visits to family, tourism, and study abroad more convenient, China Eastern Airlines added.

(By Zhang Dongfang)