China Eastern Airlines is selling tickets for what will become the world’s longest direct flight, stretching approximately 12,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean. According to Business Insider, the journey will connect Shanghai, China, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a scheduled flight time of 29 hours.
Set to commence operations in December 2025, the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft selected for this route will make a two-hour refueling stop in Auckland, New Zealand. However, passengers will remain onboard during this technical halt, maintaining its classification as a “direct flight” despite the stopover
China Eastern Route And Schedule Details
The flight, designated as China Eastern Flight 746 on the return leg from Buenos Aires to Shanghai, will operate twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays. Business Traveler reports that outbound Flight 745 from Shanghai to Buenos Aires will operate on Mondays and Thursdays, starting December 4, with a slightly shorter duration of approximately 25.5 hours due to favorable prevailing winds.
Travelers booking this journey should prepare for both the extended duration and premium pricing. One-way economy tickets for flights in December are being advertised on China Eastern’s website for between $1,538 and $2,270. Business class tickets, which offer the considerable advantage of lie-flat beds during the nearly day-and-a-half trip, start at approximately $5,000.
Regional Significance And Diplomatic Connections
China Eastern’s new route marks the airline’s first service to South America via the southern hemisphere, creating a more direct connection by bypassing traditional stopovers in the U.S. or Europe, according to the South China Morning Post. Per Business Traveler, the airline may also be capitalizing on the opportunity to establish a fifth freedom link between Buenos Aires and Auckland, a route that has historically demonstrated demand.
Auckland Airport CEO Carrie Hurihanganui highlighted the benefits of the new service: “This new service will reintroduce a direct flight connection between New Zealand and Argentina, enhancing not only tourism, trade and international education, but providing another link home for the 40,000 South Americans who live in New Zealand.”
