Overview
- The inaugural flight touched down in Auckland to cheers before continuing to Buenos Aires, completing the journey in nearly 26 hours with a two-hour technical stop.
- Passengers remained on board during the Auckland stop, and the return leg is expected to take about four hours longer due to headwinds.
- Scheduled as MU745 from Shanghai on Mondays and Thursdays with arrival in Buenos Aires the same day, the return MU746 operates Tuesdays and Fridays via Auckland.
- Argentina formally authorized China Eastern under Disposición 42 to operate regular combined passenger and cargo services as part of its open skies approach.
- New Zealand officials said the route will bolster tourism and trade, with published fares for the launch starting around US$2,158.50 and operations using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.