Chinese airline launches 29-hour ‘direct flight’ but there’s a catch

  (CNN) -- China Eastern Airlines has begun selling tickets for its new route connecting Shanghai and Buenos Aires, in what the carrier touts as the “world’s longest direct flight.”

The flight departing from Shanghai’s Pudong Interntional Airport (PVG) is scheduled to take about 25.5 hours to reach the Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) in the Argentine capital, while the return flight is scheduled to take a whopping 29 hours, according to the Shanghai-based carrier.

But there is a caveat: both legs include a two-hour stop in Auckland, New Zealand, during which passengers can step off the aircraft for a break, so while it’s “direct,” it’s not nonstop.

Various carriers have tried to claim “longest” titles as their part of their marketing campaigns – but most experts agree the top prize belongs to Singapore Airlines.

The airline’s nonstop flight between Singapore Changi and New York JFK covers a distance of 15,349 kilometers (9,537 miles) over more than 18 hours, a feat of endurance CNN’s Richard Quest attempted in October 2018.

China Eastern Airlines said its flight is going to be “the world’s first commercial route connecting antipodal cities” – cities located at opposite sides of the earth.

The airline opts for an unusual southerly flight path, across some of the world’s most remote waters and close to Antarctica, a choice that China Eastern says will help shave at least four hours off the total journey.

The route, flown on a wide-body Boeing 777-300ER, will operate twice weekly, starting from December 4, according to the state-owned airline.

“The Shanghai Pudong-Auckland-Buenos Aires route is seen as an important measure to build a new ‘Air Silk Road’ channel between Asia-Pacific and South America,” the airline added.

According to booking site Skyscanner, the quickest flight from Shanghai to Buenos Aires, offered by Air France and Lufthansa, takes nearly 31 hours, with a layover either in Paris or Amsterdam.

But the gap closes for the return trip, with other carriers providing flight options with durations ranging from a little more than 28 hours to 33 hours.

The Chinese airline has plenty of competition when it comes to the claim of “the world’s longest flight” – though for many air travelers, the less time spent in the air the better.

Australia’s flagship carrier Qantas is working on a plan known as “Project Sunrise,” aimed at developing aircraft more conducive to fliers’ resting patterns during ultra-long flights.

The airline is pursuing a longstanding goal of flying nonstop from Sydney to London – cities about 10,000 miles apart.

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