China Eastern Airlines запустит самый длинный в мире стыковочный рейс на 777

dailyblitz.de 6 часы назад

SHANGHAI— In a move that’s bound to turn heads in global aviation, China Eastern Airlines (MU) has unveiled an ambitious new long-haul route.

The airline will be connecting Shanghai Pudong (PVG) to Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE), with a stopover in Auckland (AKL). The new route will operate twice weekly starting December 2025, using the airline’s flagship Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

At first glance, a Shanghai–Buenos Aires service may sound improbable due to the sheer distance involved. But China Eastern’s decision to add Auckland as a midway stop helps. It reflects strategic thinking and careful planning operationally and commercially.

Why Auckland? It’s About Distance and Opportunity

The great-circle distance between Shanghai and Buenos Aires is a whopping 10,580 nautical miles (19,594 Kilometers), making it impossible to fly non-stop.

A nonstop flight over this distance is not currently feasible for any commercial aircraft under standard operating conditions.

This is where Auckland fits in perfectly. The PVG–AKL–EZE routing is only 47 nautical miles longer than a straight shot from Shanghai to Buenos Aires, making it an efficient way to bridge the two continents. The routing also conveniently splits the journey nearly in half:

PVG–AKL: ~5,047 nm
AKL–EZE: ~5,580 nm

By choosing Auckland as a technical and commercial stop, China Eastern is able to stretch its aircraft range. The airline will also be able to tap into fifth freedom traffic rights, meaning passengers can travel on just the Shanghai–Auckland or Auckland–Buenos Aires sectors independently.

This opens up exciting new possibilities for passengers traveling between New Zealand and Argentina, a market that has seen limited direct connectivity in recent years.

Not the First of Its Kind—But Still Rare

This strategy is unique but isn’t entirely unprecedented. Air China, for example, operates a similarly long route: Beijing–Madrid–São Paulo (PEK–MAD–GRU) three times a week. That route spans 9,492 nm, which is again not possible to operate as a non-stop.

Air China uses Madrid as a logical halfway point. It’s a clever way to bridge vast distances while keeping aircraft within operational range and utilizing fifth freedom rights as well.

Like China Eastern’s new route, Air China’s service shows how ultra-long-range ambitions can be achieved with smart routing and solid international agreements. These routes may appear quite different, but they fulfill a real strategic function.

Benefits for China Eastern

This new Shanghai–Auckland–Buenos Aires route fits into China Eastern’s plans of expanding its global reach while leveraging underserved or strategically advantageous city pairs.

It connects East Asia to South America, two markets with growing economic and cultural ties. This also allows the airline to experiment in a niche market with limited competition.

The service also strengthens China Eastern’s presence in New Zealand, building on its existing flights in Auckland. and allows the carrier to test the waters in the China–South America corridor. Currently, the South American sectors are dominated by Middle Eastern and European airlines offering one-stop options.

For passengers, it opens up a more direct option between China and Argentina with a convenient stop in Auckland, potentially reducing total travel time compared to indirect connections via the Middle East or Europe.

Bottom Line

The route does seem unconventional at first. However, it’s a well-calculated venture. The decision of China Eastern to use the fuel-efficient, long-range 777-300ER, combined with smart use of air rights and geographical planning, makes this a bold yet feasible operation.

China Eastern currently operates an Airbus A330-200 with 263 seats on the Auckland route. The A330-200s of China Eastern are fitted with 17 business and 246 economy class seats. The airline’s service to Argentina will see the deployment of a larger Boeing 777-300ER, which is configured with 316 seats.

The 777-300ER will feature six seats in First, 52 seats in Business, and 258 seats in Economy class. If successful, it could pave the way for more ultra-long-haul services that cleverly use intermediary hubs.

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