China Eastern Airlines will launch the longest direct flight

1. Route Overview & Timing

Route: Shanghai (China) → Buenos Aires (Argentina), with a 2-hour technical stop in Auckland (New Zealand). Passengers stay on board during the stop.

Start Date: The service is set to begin December 4, 2025.

Frequency: Operated twice weekly. Flights Shanghai → Buenos Aires on Mondays and Thursdays; return Buenos Aires → Shanghai on Tuesdays and Fridays.

2. Duration & Distance

Duration:

Buenos Aires to Shanghai: approx. 29 hours (longer due to headwinds on that leg).
Shanghai to Buenos Aires: about 25.5 hours.

Distance: Around 12,229 miles total (~19,680 km). Specifically:

Shanghai → Auckland: ~5,808 miles

Auckland → Buenos Aires: ~6,421 miles

3. “Direct” vs. “Non-stop”

This route is considered “direct” because it’s under one flight number and you don’t change aircraft, even though there’s a short stop in Auckland.
It is not “non-stop”—the aircraft makes a stopover. The longest non-stop flight still remains Singapore Airlines’ New York ↔ Singapore service.

4. Aircraft & Configuration

The route will be flown using a Boeing 777-300ER, featuring a three-cabin configuration (typically First, Business, and Economy).

5. Ticketing & Pricing

Economy class tickets are priced between USD 1,538 to $2,270 (one-way).

Business class fares start at approximately USD 5,000 one-way.

6. Comparisons / Records

This will become the world’s longest “direct” passenger flight by duration and distance under a single flight number.

The current record for the longest “direct” flight is Air China’s Beijing → São Paulo via Madrid service (passengers don’t change aircraft, but the stop in Madrid disqualifies it as non-stop).

As mentioned, the longest non-stop route remains the Singapore–New York flight.

7. Geographic / Operational Significance

The new Auckland → Buenos Aires sector is classified under “fifth-freedom” traffic rights, meaning China Eastern can carry passengers solely between Auckland and Buenos Aires—even though both points are outside China.

The route strategically “shortens” travel between Shanghai and Buenos Aires compared to alternative routes (e.g. via Europe/the Middle East), despite time zone and distance challenges.

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