China Eastern Airlines has begun selling tickets for its new route connecting Shanghai and Buenos Aires, which the carrier calls “the world’s longest direct flight.”
The flight departing from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) is scheduled to last approximately 25.5 hours to reach Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) in Argentina’s capital, while the return flight is planned to take a full 29 hours, according to the Shanghai-based carrier, CNN reports.
However, there is a catch: both legs include a two-hour stopover in Auckland, New Zealand, during which passengers can disembark for a break. So while it is “direct,” it is not nonstop.
Various carriers have attempted to claim the title of “longest” as part of their marketing campaigns, but most experts agree the main record belongs to Singapore Airlines.
Singapore Airlines’ nonstop flight between Singapore Changi and New York JFK covers 15,349 kilometers over more than 18 hours.
China Eastern Airlines said its flight will be “the world’s first commercial route connecting antipode cities” – cities located on opposite sides of the globe.
The airline has chosen an unusual southern route, over some of the most remote waters in the world and near Antarctica, a choice that China Eastern says will help shorten the total travel time by at least four hours.
The route, operated with a wide-body Boeing 777-300ER, will operate twice a week starting December 4, according to the state-owned airline.
