China Eastern's Flights to Buenos Aires Now Appear on Its Website
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This Thursday, the new flights connecting Shanghai with Buenos Aires via Auckland began to appear on the China Eastern Airlines website, a historic route that will mark the first time Argentina and China are linked by regular operations.
Currently, the first operation is scheduled for December 4th, although this may be subject to change as, for example, fares are not yet listed. For that, we will have to wait for the official communication from China Eastern, but this already indicates that the flights to Buenos Aires will become a reality.
As seen in the system, flight MU 745 would depart from Shanghai (PVG) on Mondays and Thursdays at 2:00 AM, arriving in Auckland at 6:30 PM. From there, it would depart at 8:30 PM, arriving in Buenos Aires (EZE) at 4:30 PM. The total flight duration is 25 hours and 30 minutes.
In the opposite direction, flights would depart from Ezeiza Airport on Tuesdays and Fridays at 2:00 AM, arriving in Auckland at 8:40 AM the next day. From there, they would depart at 10:40 AM, arriving in Shanghai at 6:30 PM. The total flight duration is 29 hours.
China Eastern Airlines will fly to Buenos Aires with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, featuring 6 First Class suites, 52 Business Class seats, and 258 Economy Class seats.
The airline had surprised many in mid-June with the announcement of its flights to Buenos Aires, but no further communication had been sent since. Last week, the route was back in the news in Argentina when it was revealed that Crossracer, an airline services provider, was hiring Chinese-speaking staff in Ezeiza.
This plan represents a change in strategy for China Eastern, which in November 2023 had received authorization from the CAAC to operate a route to Buenos Aires with a stopover in Madrid. The new route via Auckland is not only geographically more direct but also leverages the airline's infrastructure and growing relationship with New Zealand.
The Asian airline's membership in the SkyTeam alliance allows for speculation that an extended offer agreement could be articulated through Aerolíneas Argentinas, which would then use Ezeiza Airport as a hub to Oceania, connecting with its domestic and regional destinations.
The demand from Brazilian passengers to China would benefit from an additional connection and a route less susceptible to disruptions, given the current situation of travel via Central Asia and the Middle East due to conflicts that limit the use of significant portions of Russian and Iranian airspace.
In that presentation, Wang Zhiqing, Chairman of China Eastern Airlines, had stated that the new route is a fundamental step in the company's global expansion strategy and will function as a vital link for cultural and economic exchange.
For her part, Carrie Hurihanganui, CEO of Auckland Airport, had described the "Southern Corridor" as a long-awaited goal, highlighting that connectivity with South America was 53% below pre-pandemic levels.
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