China Eastern Airlines has opened a new chapter in the history of aviation. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
The company completed the longest commercial flight between China and South America, which allowed for a reduction in travel time by more than four hours. This record demonstrates the rapid development of long-haul flight technology.
In recent years, the aviation industry has developed fuel-efficient and long-range aircraft such as the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787. This has turned previously unimaginable long-distance direct flights into a real possibility.
One such flight was China Eastern Airlines' MU745 route. This flight took off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 02:19 on December 4 and arrived in Buenos Aires.
It was recorded as the longest route in the airline's history. The flight was operated using a Boeing 777-39P aircraft.
The plane made a temporary stop in Auckland, New Zealand, for refueling and crew change. The Shanghai–Auckland–Buenos Aires route, lasting a total of 25 hours and 30 minutes and covering 20,000 kilometers, surpassed the previous record.
Previously, Xiamen Airlines' flight from New York to Fuzhou, lasting 19 hours and 20 minutes, was recognized as the longest flight. Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines leads the list of the world's longest flights.
Its Newark–Singapore (19 hours 10 minutes) and JFK–Singapore (18 hours 55 minutes) routes are well known. Air New Zealand's Auckland–JFK route lasts 17 hours and 45 minutes.
According to Global Times, previous flights from Shanghai to South America were mainly conducted via North America or Europe, which took nearly 30 hours.
The new route significantly reduced this time. China Eastern Airlines made the following statement about this route: “The new 20,000-kilometer route directly connects Shanghai and South American cities.
This route opens a ‘southern corridor’ crossing the Pacific Ocean, fundamentally transforming the aviation system connecting three continents.” According to experts, the aviation industry is striving to carry out even longer and more innovative flights. This paves the way for new records to be set.
