A groundbreaking milestone in modern aviation has been reached: the world’s longest commercial flight—an extraordinary 29-hour journey spanning roughly 12,400 miles, nearly half the Earth’s circumference—has now successfully taken place.
The record-setting trip was operated by China Eastern Airlines, departing from Shanghai in the early hours of Thursday, 4 December, at 2 a.m. local time. After crossing vast stretches of the Pacific and making a brief technical stop in Auckland, New Zealand, the aircraft touched down at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires at 4:45 p.m., arriving slightly ahead of schedule.
Although the Auckland stop prevented the route from claiming the title of the world’s longest nonstop flight, the full journey time and total distance now make it the longest commercial flight route currently in operation. The outbound leg clocks in at more than 25 hours, while the return flight runs approximately four hours longer due to prevailing winds.
Festive events marked the achievement in all three cities. Shanghai and Buenos Aires hosted official celebrations, while Auckland welcomed the aircraft with a ceremony recognizing the significance of its role as the midpoint connection.
The service will now operate twice weekly using a 316-seat Boeing 777-300ER, a long-range workhorse designed for intercontinental travel. According to China Eastern Airlines, the new Shanghai–Auckland–Buenos Aires corridor is expected to serve the rapidly growing East Asian community in Argentina, while strengthening economic, cultural, and tourism ties across the Pacific.
By distance and total travel time, the new route surpasses Singapore Airlines’ former record-holding New York–Singapore service, which lasted approximately 19 hours.
Meanwhile, Qantas continues to develop its ambitious “Project Sunrise” flights—planned ultra-long-haul routes capable of up to 22 hours nonstop—slated to link Sydney with London and New York as early as 2027.
