SHANGHAI, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- After a 26-hour, over-20,000-kilometer journey with a stop in Auckland, New Zealand, flight MU745 arrived in Buenos Aires on Thursday afternoon local time, marking the launch of the world's longest commercial route -- between Shanghai in China and Buenos Aires in Argentina.
It is also the first commercial air link connecting antipodes on the globe. Compared to previous routes via Europe or North America, the new southern path reduces travel time by about five hours.
The service is operated by China Eastern Airlines using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Outbound flights depart from the Shanghai Pudong airport at 2 a.m. Beijing Time every Monday and Thursday, arriving in Buenos Aires at 4:55 p.m. local time. Return flights, coded MU746, operate on Tuesdays and Fridays each week, leaving Buenos Aires at 2 a.m. local time and landing in Shanghai at 6 p.m. Beijing Time the following day.
While a technical stop in Auckland is required due to the extreme distance covered, passengers are not required to change planes during the two-hour layover.
The inaugural flight recorded a 96 percent passenger load factor. "This route saves time and makes travel more convenient, facilitating South Americans to explore business opportunities in China," said Emilio, a passenger from Argentina.
The route also enables the transport of fresh cargo, with return flights scheduled to carry 2.1 tonnes of Argentine cherries and 10.5 tonnes of chilled Chilean salmon to China.
Additionally, China Eastern Airlines has signed a cooperation agreement with Aerolíneas Argentinas to coordinate over 50 routes worldwide.
"We plan to expand collaboration from flight operations to broader cooperation on business, tourism, culture, sports and exhibitions," said Gong Picai, deputy general manager of China Eastern Airlines' marketing department. ■
