Top 10 longest one-stop scheduled flights: Up to 29 hours, 3 continents
Longest one-stop flight launched by China Eastern route covers 19,681 km
The world’s longest one-stop scheduled passenger route has taken off, connecting Shanghai to Buenos Aires with a stop in Auckland.
Starting December 4, this China Eastern route covers 10,627 nautical miles, or nearly 20,000 km (19,681 km to be exact) with a total journey time of up to 29 hours.
This new record surpasses the previous longest route operated by Aircalin from Nouméa to Paris via Bangkok, as per OAG data.
B777: Thrice-weekly service
The service operates twice weekly and uses China Eastern’s Boeing 777-300ER, a high-capacity aircraft with 316 seats across three classes, including first class.
This model is also known for its significant freight capabilities, which will likely play a key role on this lengthy link.
List: Top 10 Longest One-Stop Flights
| Rank | Airline | Route (Origin → Destination) | Via | Total Distance | Total Block Time | Aircraft | Frequency & Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China Eastern | Shanghai (PVG) → Buenos Aires (EZE) | Auckland (AKL) | 10,627 nm (19,681 km) | 1d 5h | Boeing 777-300ER | 2× weekly, launched 4 Dec 2025 |
| 2 | Aircalin | Nouméa (NOU) → Paris CDG (CDG) | Bangkok (BKK) | 9,514 nm (17,633 km) | 25h 40m | Airbus A330-900neo | 2–3× weekly, fifth-freedom BKK–CDG |
| 3 | Air China | Beijing (PEK) → São Paulo (GRU) | Madrid (MAD) | 9,494 nm (17,578 km) | Up to 25h 05m | Boeing 787-9 | 3× weekly, fifth-freedom MAD–GRU |
| 4 | Qantas | Sydney (SYD) → Paris CDG (CDG) | Perth (PER) | 9,475 nm (17,549 km) | 25h 20m | Boeing 787-9 | 3× weekly, traffic rights PER–CDG |
| 5 | British Airways / Qantas | London Heathrow (LHR) → Sydney (SYD) | Singapore (SIN) | 9,274 nm (17,175 km) | Up to 25h 20m | BA: 787-9 / QF: A380 | Daily each, fifth-freedom SIN–SYD/LHR |
| 6 | Air China | Beijing (PEK) → Havana (HAV) | Madrid (MAD) | 9,018 nm (16,703 km) | 23h 40m | Boeing 787-9 | 2× weekly, fifth-freedom MAD–HAV |
| 7 | Qantas | Sydney (SYD) → Rome Fiumicino (FCO) | Perth (PER) | 8,983 nm (16,641 km) | Up to 23h 35m | Boeing 787-9 | 3× weekly |
| 8 | Singapore Airlines | Singapore (SIN) → New York JFK (JFK) | Frankfurt (FRA) | 8,903 nm (16,488 km) | 24h 20m | Boeing 777-300ER | Daily, fifth-freedom FRA–JFK |
| 9 | Air Canada | Toronto (YYZ) → Sydney (SYD) | Vancouver (YVR) | 8,853 nm (16,397 km) | 23h 05m | Boeing 777-200LR | Daily, traffic rights YVR–SYD |
| 10 | Qantas | Sydney (SYD) → New York JFK (JFK) | Auckland (AKL) | 8,840 nm (16,370 km) | 23h 05m | Boeing 787-9 | 5× weekly, fifth-freedom AKL–JFK |
Source: Simple Flying
Fifth-freedom rights
Notably, the airline has fifth-freedom rights between Auckland and Buenos Aires, allowing it to offer nonstop flights on this segment for the first time since Air New Zealand ceased operations in early 2020 due to the pandemic.
This route marks China Eastern’s first passenger service to South America and positions the airline as the second Asian carrier to fly this continent after Air China, which operates a Beijing-São Paulo route via Madrid.
However, China Eastern’s new flight is longer in distance and duration than Air China’s.
The route targets key markets, particularly attracting the growing Chinese-Argentine community.
Argentina hosts over 50,000 people born in China and more than 350,000 of Chinese descent.
Passenger data shows significant demand: in the 12 months leading to September 2025, 96,000 round-trip passengers traveled between China and Buenos Aires, with the Shanghai-Buenos Aires market alone accounting for 26,000 passengers — or over a quarter of the total.
Visa-free access
Visa-free access for Argentinians to China for up to 30 days is expected to further boost demand.
China Eastern’s schedule, with a 2:00 am departure from Buenos Aires, suggests a focus on connecting Shanghai and Buenos Aires passengers, plus those flying between Auckland and Buenos Aires.
The airline now offers nine weekly flights on the Shanghai–Auckland segment.
Previously, this route was served by Aerolíneas Argentinas and Air New Zealand and was reasonably well trafficked, with 31,000 recorded passengers in 2019.
However, numbers dropped to 9,000 in the past year, with most travelers connecting through Santiago via LATAM.
China Eastern is seizing this opportunity to develop both passenger and freight traffic in the region amid ongoing market recovery and increasing travel demand between Asia and South America.
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