China Easternโ Launches โฃFirst direct โฃNew Zealand-Argentina Route in years
auckland, New Zealand – China Eastern Airlines โcommenced itsโค inaugural Shanghai-Auckland-Buenos Aires service today, marking the first direct air link between New Zealand and Argentina โฃsince 2020. The twice-weekly flight positions Aucklandโ Airport as a key โคtransit hub connecting Asia and South America, bolstering tourism, trade, and cultural exchange โฃopportunities.
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 โคreside in New Zealand, โคand โAsian destinations are increasingly popular with Kiwi travellers – with 662,000, or one in four international travellers, heading โto Asia in the past โyear, 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 โAirport now boasts direct connections to mainland China via six airlines: Air China, Air New Zealand,โ China Eastern airlines, china Southernโฃ Airlines, Hainan Airlines, and Sichuan โAirlines, alongside Cathay Pacific’s directโ serviceโ to Hong Kong. Connectivity into China is recovering following disruptionsโ caused by the โCovid-19โ pandemic.