China Eastern Airlines has announced a significant new long-haul service, establishing the first direct air link between Shanghai and South America, and the sole connection between China and Argentina. This ambitious route will connect Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) to Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) with a crucial stopover in Auckland, New Zealand.

The announcement was made during a signing ceremony in Shanghai on June 18, witnessed by New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. The new route is projected to inject an additional NZ$48 million (approximately US$28.7 million) in annual visitor spending into New Zealand's economy. Operations are scheduled to commence in December 2025, with twice-weekly flights utilizing China Eastern’s flagship Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. These wide-body jets are configured with 316 seats, including six first-class, 52 business-class, and 258 economy-class seats.

This innovative routing marks a global first in several aspects. The vast great-circle distance of 10,580 nautical miles (19,594 km) between Shanghai and Buenos Aires necessitates a stopover, and the chosen path via Auckland conveniently splits the journey almost precisely in half. This makes it the world’s longest one-stop flight. Furthermore, it will be the world’s most southerly long-haul flight, positioning it slightly further south than existing routes like Qantas’ Sydney to Johannesburg and Sydney to Santiago, and LATAM’s Auckland to Santiago services.

A key strategic advantage for China Eastern on this route is the ability to leverage fifth freedom traffic rights. This allows the airline to carry passengers independently on the Shanghai-Auckland and Auckland-Buenos Aires sectors. This new service will significantly boost China Eastern's presence in Auckland, increasing its total frequency on the Shanghai-Auckland leg to nine flights per week when combined with its existing daily Shanghai-Auckland service, which uses an Airbus A350-900. China Eastern has maintained a presence in Auckland since 2014 and is currently the Chinese airline operating the most flights between China and New Zealand, also offering services from Hangzhou to Auckland and Hangzhou via Sydney to Auckland.

Auckland Airport Chief Executive Carrie Hurihanganui highlighted the benefits for New Zealand, stating that this new connectivity addresses a significant 53% reduction in direct capacity between New Zealand and South America compared to pre-pandemic levels. The service is expected to enhance tourism, trade, and international education, while also providing a vital link home for the approximately 40,000 South Americans residing in New Zealand. Auckland Airport has recently modernized its international transit facilities, boasting an 80% increase in processing space and integrating new Aviation Security screening technology. With around 700,000 international travelers transiting through Auckland annually, this route is set to further solidify New Zealand's role as a global transit hub, connecting Asia, Europe, and Latin America via Shanghai, and restoring critical long-haul capacity lost since the pandemic.

The competitive landscape for trans-Pacific and South American routes has seen shifts. Air New Zealand previously operated a direct service from Auckland to Buenos Aires from 2015 until its suspension at the onset of the pandemic in 2020. Prior to that, Aerolineas Argentinas served this route until 2012, and Malaysia Airlines offered flights to Buenos Aires via Cape Town over a decade ago. Currently, China’s third-largest airline, Air China, connects Beijing to Sao Paulo via Madrid, while LATAM provides a five-time weekly service from Auckland to Santiago using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Sabre Market Intelligence data reveals that two-way passenger traffic between New Zealand and Argentina reached only 10,500 in 2024, a notable decrease from 30,800 in 2019. Despite the absence of nonstop or one-stop services, traffic between China and Argentina totaled 57,800 passengers last year, underscoring the demand this new China Eastern route aims to capture.

The launch of this route is strategically timed with recent policy changes. China has recently granted visa-free entry to Argentine citizens for up to 30 days, a move anticipated to significantly boost demand between the two nations. Concurrently, New Zealand has implemented a transit visa-free policy for Chinese passengers transiting through Auckland, further streamlining travel and promoting tourism.

Beyond this flagship long-haul expansion, China Eastern Airlines has also been busy expanding its European network. The airline launched new Shanghai-Geneva flights on June 16, followed by Shanghai to Milan on June 20, and a new route to Copenhagen on July 17. These additions bring China Eastern’s total number of European destinations to 15. In May, the airline also introduced Lanzhou to Kuala Lumpur flights.

China Eastern Airlines, headquartered in Shanghai, is one of China's three major carriers and holds the position of China’s second-largest airline by passenger traffic, after China Southern Airlines. As of 2024, it served over 140 million passengers with a load factor exceeding 82% and operates a modern fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a proud member of the SkyTeam Alliance.