Chinese airline launches world's longest 'direct flight'

The 20,000-km journey from Shanghai to Buenos Aires takes approximately 25.5 hours, while the return flight lasts around 29 hours, as reported by Business Insider.

Unlike the traditional northward route, which requires transfers in Europe or North America, this new southward route reduces total travel time from up to 30 hours.

The current fastest flights from Shanghai to Buenos Aires, operated by Air France and Lufthansa, typically take over 30 hours with a stopover in cities such as Paris or Amsterdam, according to booking site Skyscanner.

The new route includes a two-hour stopover in Auckland, New Zealand, where passengers can disembark and rest, China Daily reported.

Despite the stopover, the flight is considered direct because the same aircraft and flight number are used throughout the journey. However, it does not qualify as the longest non-stop flight.

According to international aviation standards, a direct flight may include stopovers, as long as passengers do not change planes and the flight number remains the same. A non-stop flight, in contrast, has no stopovers and keeps the same plane from takeoff to landing.

The China Eastern Airlines flight operates on a wide-body Boeing 777-300ER and runs twice a week, starting Dec. 4. One-way economy tickets for December flights are listed on the airline's website between $1,538 and $2,270. Business class tickets with lie-flat beds start at $5,000.

Currently, the longest non-stop flight in the world is operated by Singapore Airlines, connecting Singapore's Changi Airport with New York's JFK Airport. This flight covers 15,349 km and lasts more than 18 hours, according to Business Traveler.