A Look Inside the World’s Longest and Most Ambitious Commercial Flight
China Eastern Airlines has launched what it calls the longest direct flight in the world that links Shanghai with Buenos Aires. The service holds a single flight number, so it counts as “direct,” even though there is a two-hour layover in Auckland, New Zealand. Passengers remain on board during the stop before continuing to Argentina. Southbound flights take around 25.5 hours, while the return can stretch to 29 hours because of headwinds.
The route spans about 12,000 miles, or nearly 19,300 kilometers. Before this, travelers between China and Argentina usually passed through Europe or North America, which often meant more than 30 hours of travel with long waits between connections. By cutting out those extra stops, China Eastern’s new route offers a shorter overall trip, even if it means spending more than a full day on one plane. The flights are scheduled twice a week.
The Price of Extreme Travel
Image via Canva/ilonakozhevnikova
Flying this far comes at a cost. Economy tickets for December were priced between $1,538 and $2,270. Business class started at $5,000, with some seats on the first flight selling for more than $6,400. The route is operated by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, a reliable choice for long-distance international travel. Each plane has 316 seats, 258 of which are economy. Business travelers get lie-flat seats, while economy passengers have standard long-haul accommodations.
For passengers accustomed to complicated itineraries through Dallas, Madrid, or Paris, booking a single flight from Asia to South America without multiple layovers is a major convenience. This is particularly true for business trips or urgent travel when time matters more than comfort.
Looking Back at the Record Holder
While 29 hours in the air is daunting, it still does not top the longest flights in aviation history. That title belongs to Qantas’ Double Sunrise flights during World War II. Between 1943 and 1945, Qantas used Catalina flying boats to connect Australia with Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. These flights covered about 3,500 nautical miles and could last up to 33 hours. Passengers often saw two sunrises during the journey, which gave the flights their name.
The Catalinas flew with only three passengers on board, along with mail and diplomatic documents. With no radios and limited navigation tools, crews relied on celestial navigation and compasses. The flights were operated under wartime conditions and required stripping the planes of unnecessary equipment to save weight. In total, 271 crossings were completed, carrying fewer than 900 passengers. Those who flew received a certificate naming them members of the “Secret Order of the Double Sunrise.”
What It Means for Travelers Today
Image via Wikimedia Commons/LERK
Comparing a noisy wartime seaplane with a modern Boeing 777 highlights how far air travel has come. The Double Sunrise served as a lifeline between allies, whereas China Eastern’s route aims to make long-distance travel more efficient. Today’s longest nonstop flight is still Singapore Airlines’ service from Singapore to New York, which covers 9,537 miles in just over 18 hours.
Qantas has plans for a 20-hour Sydney to London nonstop service by 2027. For now, China Eastern holds the record for the longest direct commercial flight.