World’s longest commercial flight, clocking 29 hours, is launched
China Eastern Airline has launched its inaugural flight fro China to Argentina dubbed the longest in the world clocking up to 29 hours (Picture: Xinhua/Shutterstock)
China Eastern Airlines has launched the world’s longest commercial flight covering 12,400 miles and clocking up to 29 hours.
The mammoth journey started on Thursday from Shanghai and ended in Buenos Aires, with a two-hour stopover in Auckland, New Zealand, for fuel and crew rotation.
The flight from China to Argentina takes more than 25 hours, with the return journey taking four hours longer, prompting many to dub it ‘the longest flight in the world’.
The China Eastern service surpasses the previously held title by Singapore Airlines for its 19-hour direct route between New York and Singapore.
More than 96,000 passengers travelled from China to Buenos Aires in the 12 months to September 2025, according to a report by Simply Flying (Picture: Costfoto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)
It seems the race for the longest flight continues after Australian airline Qantas announced plans to open a new 22-hour-long route from Sydney to London in 2027.
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Passengers on the China to Argentina flight were seated on the jumbo 316-seat Boeing 777-300ER – a plane which will run twice a week year-round.
The flight left Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 2am local time and arrived at Ezeiza International Airport ten minutes ahead of schedule at 4.45pm local time.
China Eastern said the new route will help to offer a more direct option for passengers wanting to visit South America, particularly with Argentina’s sizeable East Asian diaspora.
More than 55,000 people born in China live in the South American country and comprise one of Argentina’s fastest-growing communities, according to data from Simply Flying.
There is a two-hour stopover in Auckland, New Zealand, for fuel and crew rotation (Picture: Metro)
The report also found that 96,000 passengers flew between China and Buenos Aires in the 12 months to September 2025.
In a statement, China Eastern said: ‘This new route fills the gap in direct flights between Shanghai and major South American cities.
‘It opens a “southbound corridor” connecting opposite ends of the Pacific and reshapes air travel between three continents.’
Celebrations were held in both the departure and arrival destinations, while Auckland hosted a welcome ceremony to mark the milestone.
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