The first passengers transiting in Auckland on what has been dubbed the "world's longest direct flight" were thankful for the short break they enjoyed at the halfway mark.
The China Eastern Airlines service from Shanghai to Buenos Aires landed in Auckland just after 6pm on Thursday.
The service runs twice each week, with passengers enjoying a two-hour stop in New Zealand before continuing onto their final leg.
The flight from China to Argentina is expected to take more than twenty-five hours, with the return journey taking four hours longer.
Yi Zhu, a Shanghai resident visiting South America for the first time, appreciated the opportunity to take a short break in Auckland after completing the first leg of the journey.
"I think two hours is not too long, and we can have some rest," he said. "It's good because we can prepare good for the next trip."
Passengers on China Eastern's new Shanghai-Buenos Aires service arrive at Auckland Airport on Thursday. Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin
A welcome ceremony was held at the arrival gate at Auckland Airport following the flight's touchdown, with attendees including Tourism Minister Louise Upston, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong, Auckland Airport chief executive Carrie Hurihanganui and China Eastern Airlines chief executive Gao Fei.
Upston said increased air connectivity was vital for New Zealand's future economic growth.
"We are very firmly focused on growing tourism beyond 2019 levels and China Eastern's Southern Link marks a new milestone for New Zealand as a tourism and trade gateway," Upston said.
Stanford said Chinese passengers transiting through New Zealand can now use a NZeTA without applying for a separate transit visa, a policy she said plays a critical role in strengthening New Zealand's economic future.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown also welcomed the easing of visa settings for Chinese visitors. He said the new service would deliver economic benefits to both Auckland and the wider country.
"It's a link between two big economies, via our small economy, and we will gain from it," Brown said.
The new China Eastern service was well received by passengers.
Zhu said being able to transit through New Zealand without needing a separate visa was convenient for Chinese travellers, making the journey more attractive.
Emilio del Campo, who has been living in China for six months, said the route was the fastest way he could return to his country.
A new China Eastern Airlines service from Shanghai to Buenos Aires made its first stop in Auckland on Thursday. Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin
According to Auckland Airport's statistics, travel between New Zealand and South America reached about 94,000 passengers last year, roughly two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels.
Air trade between New Zealand and South America totalled $129 million in the year to October 2025, up 11 percent from the previous year.
Hurihanganui said the new service was expected to attract high-value visitors from both China and Argentina, while giving New Zealanders another travel option to South America.