China Eastern to double Shanghai-Auckland-Buenos Aires flights from December, Auckland Airport says

China Eastern Airlines

24/06/2026 22:39

June 25 (Reuters) - China Eastern Airlines 600115.SS will double the frequency of its Shanghai-Auckland-Buenos Aires service to four times weekly from December 2026, Auckland Airport AIA.NZ said on Thursday. 

Here are some details:
The service, launched in December 2025, has seen strong demand across both travellers and cargo, Auckland Airport said.
"The extra two flights each week will support more trade opportunities for exporters while making travel between the three markets easier," said Auckland Airport's chief customer officer, Scott Tasker.
China Eastern's upcoming expansion builds on Auckland Airport's broader growth in South American connectivity, after dedicated LATAM Airlines services to Santiago were launched in November.
The airport operator recorded more than 8,000 Chinese passengers on the service in its first five months, the statement added.
Since the launch of the service, Argentinian arrivals into New Zealand have risen 35% between December and March, while Kiwi travellers to Argentina have increased 22%, Auckland Airport said.
On the cargo front, export tonnage enabled by the route was up 121% in the first five months of the service.

 (Reporting by Shruti Agarwal in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
 ((Shruti.Agarwal@thomsonreuters.com;))