China Eastern Launches First direct New Zealand-Argentina Route in years
auckland, New Zealand – China Eastern Airlines commenced its inaugural Shanghai-Auckland-Buenos Aires service today, marking the first direct air link between New Zealand and Argentina since 2020. The twice-weekly flight positions Auckland Airport as a key transit hub connecting Asia and South America, bolstering tourism, trade, and cultural exchange opportunities.
The new route signifies a growing resurgence in international connectivity for New Zealand, particularly with both Asian and South American markets. approximately 40,000 South Americans currently reside in New Zealand, and Asian destinations are increasingly popular with Kiwi travellers – with 662,000, or one in four international travellers, heading to Asia in the past year, a nearly 15% increase.
China Eastern first began flying to New Zealand in 2014. the airline, headquartered in Shanghai, is one of China’s three major state-owned carriers, alongside Air China and China Southern Airlines. Auckland Airport now boasts direct connections to mainland China via six airlines: Air China, Air New Zealand, China Eastern airlines, china Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, and Sichuan Airlines, alongside Cathay Pacific’s direct service to Hong Kong. Connectivity into China is recovering following disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
