China launches one-way flight connecting Shanghai, Buenos Aires

China Eastern Airlines' flight MU745 took off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Thursday, formally launching the world's longest one-way flight which connects Shanghai with Argentina's capital Buenos Aires and shortens the flight time from China to South America.

The 20,000-kilometer route between China’s economic hub and Buenos Aires, with a stopover in Auckland, New Zealand, connects the eastern and western hemispheres. According to the Shanghai-based carrier, the new air service is planned to run twice a week on the round-trip basis.