Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown will board China Eastern’s inaugural “Southern Link” service tonight, a through-flight connecting Shanghai and Buenos Aires via Auckland that the Council says was enabled by the removal of transit visa requirements for Chinese travellers.

The airline will operate the route as MU745/746 with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, routing Shanghai–Auckland–Buenos Aires and back. The Council describes the combined routing as more than 20,000 kilometres and touts it as the world’s longest “flight path.” Frequency, schedules and booking details for the Auckland–Buenos Aires sector were not included in the announcement.

If operated as described, the Auckland–Buenos Aires leg would be the first scheduled service on that city pair since Air New Zealand withdrew the route in 2020. Auckland remains directly connected to South America through Santiago, but the Buenos Aires link has been absent since the pandemic.

Brown said Auckland’s location makes it a natural hub for flows between Asia and South America, and he argued the through-service will support trade, tourism and supply chain resilience. He credited advocacy by his office, Auckland Airport and others for the visa change that allowed the connection to proceed, and said his focus is on building “city-to-city” relationships.

The Mayor pointed to tourism potential, noting that South American visitor numbers are still down on pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, Auckland welcomed about 45,000 South American visitors; by the Council’s count, the market remains roughly 42% (around 19,000 visitors) below that peak.

China Eastern’s service places Auckland alongside Shanghai and Buenos Aires on a single through itinerary. The Council did not provide details on cargo capacity, fifth-freedom rights, or whether stand-alone tickets will be offered for the Auckland–Buenos Aires sector.

The launch adds a new long-haul option across the South Pacific and will test Auckland’s pitch to act as a midway platform for Asia–South America trade and travel.