Journalism of Courage
China Eastern Airlines has opened ticket sales for its new Shanghai–Buenos Aires service, a marathon journey the state-owned carrier is billing as the “world’s longest direct flight.”
As per a report by CNN, the route, set to begin operations on December 4, will connect Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) with Argentina’s Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE). According to the airline, the outbound trip will take about 25.5 hours, while the return will last nearly 29 hours. Both legs include a two-hour technical stop in Auckland, New Zealand, where passengers will be able to leave the aircraft. That makes the flight “direct,” but not strictly nonstop.
China Eastern has promoted the service as “the world’s first commercial route connecting antipodal cities” — cities situated on opposite ends of the globe. The airline plans to operate the route twice weekly using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. It has opted for an unusual southerly flight path across remote waters near Antarctica, which it says will cut at least four hours from the journey compared to existing options.
“The Shanghai Pudong-Auckland-Buenos Aires route is seen as an important measure to build a new ‘Air Silk Road’ channel between Asia-Pacific and South America,” the airline said in a statement.
Currently, the fastest itineraries between Shanghai and Buenos Aires are offered by European carriers such as Air France and Lufthansa, with flights lasting around 31 hours and requiring a layover in Paris or Amsterdam. For return trips, other airlines offer services ranging from just over 28 hours to 33 hours.
The claim of “world’s longest” flight is not without rivals. Singapore Airlines is widely recognised as holding the crown with its nonstop Singapore–New York JFK service, which covers 15,349 kilometres (9,537 miles) in more than 18 hours. Aviation journalist Richard Quest of CNN famously tested the route in 2018, describing it as a feat of endurance.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Qantas is developing “Project Sunrise,” a plan to launch nonstop Sydney–London services — a distance of nearly 10,000 miles — by the end of the decade.
