On December 4, China Eastern Airlines flight MU745 took off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, heading to Auckland, New Zealand and ultimately to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Spanning approximately 20,000 kilometers, the route marks the first direct flight from Shanghai to a major city in South America, establishing a new “southbound corridor” across the Pacific and transforming intercontinental travel between Asia, Oceania, and South America.
The Shanghai-Auckland-Buenos Aires route sets a new record for the world’s longest one-way flight. This new route operates two round-trip flights per week with Flight MU745 (Shanghai-Buenos Aires) departing on Mondays and Thursdays and MU746 returning on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Due to the long distance and current aircraft limitations, flights between China and South America require stopovers. By using a “southbound corridor” through Auckland, the new route is a great improvement from longer transits through Europe or North America—reducing travel time from nearly 30 hours to around 25.
China Eastern Airlines Holding Co., Ltd. (CEAH) has secured fifth-freedom rights for this route, allowing passenger and cargo operations in Auckland. This will greatly enhance logistics options for high-value agricultural products, precision instruments, and other specialty goods between China, New Zealand, and Argentina, boosting economic cooperation across the three countries and continents.
The route offers strong tourism appeal with its “reverse-season” advantage and will foster cultural exchange, providing broader opportunities for interaction and mutual learning among the three areas.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
