"Shanghai?Buenos Aires 'World's Longest 29-Hour Direct Flight'... A Closer Look at Chinese Airline's Promotion"

China Eastern Launches New Direct Route from Shanghai to Buenos Aires
25 Hours Outbound, 29 Hours Return: Airline Promotes World's Longest "Direct" Flight
Includes 2-Hour Layover in Auckland, New Zealand ? Not Nonstop
Singapore Holds True Nonstop Record with Over 18 Hours

Promotional photo of China Eastern Airlines. China Eastern Airlines

China Eastern Airlines has begun selling tickets for a new route connecting Shanghai and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The airline is promoting this route as the "world's longest direct flight." However, as reported by CNN on September 17 (local time), the term "direct" in this context does not mean "nonstop," which is expected to cause some confusion.

According to CNN, the one-way flight departing from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) is expected to take approximately 25 hours and 30 minutes to reach Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) in the Argentine capital. The return flight will take as long as 29 hours.

However, there is one condition: both directions include a layover of about two hours in Auckland, New Zealand, during which passengers can disembark and rest. In other words, while the flight is described as "direct," it is not "nonstop."

The aviation industry has seen several airlines use the "world's longest" title for marketing purposes, but CNN reported that most experts agree the true record is held by Singapore Airlines.

Singapore Airlines operates a nonstop ultra-long-haul route between Singapore Changi Airport and New York's JFK Airport, covering 15,349 kilometers (9,537 miles) in a flight that lasts over 18 hours. CNN reporter Richard Quest personally experienced this journey in October 2018.

China Eastern Airlines emphasized that this new route will be "the world's first commercial route connecting cities located at exact antipodes (opposite points) on the globe."

This flight takes an unusual southern route, crossing some of the world's most remote oceans and passing near Antarctica. China Eastern Airlines explained that this route selection could reduce total flight time by at least four hours.

The route will be operated with a Boeing 777-300ER wide-body aircraft and, according to the state-owned airline, is scheduled to begin twice-weekly service starting December 4.

The airline added, "The Shanghai Pudong-Auckland-Buenos Aires route is considered an important step in building a new 'Air Silk Road' connecting the Asia-Pacific region and South America."

According to the booking site Skyscanner, the fastest current route from Shanghai to Buenos Aires is provided by Air France and Lufthansa, which takes about 31 hours via Paris or Amsterdam.

However, for the return journey, the difference narrows, with flights offered by other airlines ranging from just over 28 hours to up to 33 hours.

While competition for the title of "world's longest flight" is fierce, for many passengers, a shorter flight time is always preferable.

Australia's flagship airline Qantas is pursuing "Project Sunrise," which aims to develop aircraft that better accommodate passengers' sleep patterns on ultra-long-haul flights. The airline has long set its sights on operating a nonstop direct flight between Sydney and London, a route spanning about 10,000 miles (approximately 16,000 kilometers).