Source: Radio New Zealand
Auckland has welcomed the first passengers transiting on what has been dubbed the “world’s longest direct flight”.
A new China Eastern Airlines service from Shanghai to Buenos Aires landed in Auckland just after 6pm on Thursday.
The route departs from Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport and is scheduled to take roughly 25 and a half hours before reaching Ezeiza International Airport in the Argentine capital.
The return journey runs even longer, at about 29 hours. Both directions include a two-hour stopover in Auckland.
A new China Eastern Airlines service from Shanghai to Buenos Aires made its first stop in Auckland on Thursday. RNZ / Yiting Lin
A welcome ceremony was held at the arrival gate at Auckland Airport following the flight’s touchdown, with attendees including Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Louise Upston, Minister of Immigration and Education Erica Stanford, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong, Auckland Airport chief executive Carrie Hurihanganui, and China Eastern Airlines chief executive Gao Fei.
Upston said increased air connectivity was vital for New Zealand’s future economic growth.
“We are very firmly focused on growing tourism beyond 2019 levels and China Eastern’s Southern Link marks a new milestone for New Zealand as a tourism and trade gateway,” Upston said.
Stanford said Chinese passengers transiting through New Zealand could now use a NZeTA without applying for a separate transit visa, a policy she said played a critical role in strengthening New Zealand’s economic future.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown also welcomed the easing of visa settings for Chinese visitors. He said the new service would deliver economic benefits to both Auckland and the wider country.
“It’s a link between two big economies, via our small economy, and we will gain from it,” Brown said.
Passengers on China Eastern’s new Shanghai-Buenos Aires service arrive at Auckland Airport on Thursday. RNZ / Yiting Lin
The new China Eastern service was also well received by passengers.
Yi Zhu, a Shanghai resident visiting South America for the first time, said he enjoyed the long-haul flight and appreciated the opportunity to take a break in Auckland.
“I think two hours is not too long, and we can have some rest,” he said. “It’s good because we can prepare good for the next trip.”
He added that being able to transit through New Zealand without needing a separate visa was convenient for Chinese travellers and made the journey more appealing.
Emilio del Campo, who had been living in China for six months, was also on the flight home.
He said it was the farthest route he could take to return to his country, and he was delighted by the experience.
Passengers on China Eastern’s new Shanghai-Buenos Aires service arrive at Auckland Airport on Thursday. RNZ / Yiting Lin
According to Auckland Airport’s statistics, travel between New Zealand and South America reached about 94,000 passengers last year, roughly two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels.
Air trade between New Zealand and South America totalled $129 million in the year to October 2025, up 11 percent from the previous year.
Auckland Airport chief executive Carrie Hurihanganui said the new service was expected to attract high-value visitors from both China and Argentina while giving New Zealanders a more competitive travel option to South America.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
