Air China launches longest one-stop South America flight

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

In an unprecedented move, Air China is gearing up to reinstate its flight services to South America come April, marking a momentous occasion in the aviation sector. This venture is particularly remarkable as it introduces the globe’s most extended one-stop flight service. Operating twice weekly, the route from Beijing Capital to São Paulo is specifically designed to cater to the significant Chinese Brazilian community residing in Brazil’s bustling metropolis.

An analysis of flight schedules from May to August 2024, drawing on Cirium data, reveals that this service will lead as the longest one-stop, consistent-plane, and identical-flight-number operation aboard the Boeing 787 aircraft. Distances, as measured by GCMap, highlight a notable decline following the top eight entries, with only two 787-8 routes making the list, alongside various launches and reinstatements.

Despite the presence of other notable long-distance routes such as Aeromexico’s Mexico City-Monterrey-Seoul and KLM’s Amsterdam-Buenos Aires-Santiago, their lengths fall short of inclusion in this distinguished category. Historically, the past two decades have seen several carriers offering one-stop, same-plane services bridging Asia and South America. Notably, airlines such as Korean Air, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, and Varig have facilitated connections between these continents.

Air China stands out as the sole carrier to establish a direct link from China to South America, initially inaugurating this route via Madrid in December 2006. Initially serviced by the Boeing 767, the route later saw an upgrade to the Airbus A330-200 and eventually to the more fuel-efficient Boeing 787-9 in 2017 before its suspension due to the pandemic.

With its return, the Beijing-Madrid-São Paulo route will operate on Thursdays and Sundays, offering an exceptionally rare daytime service from South America to Europe. The journey to Brazil will span approximately 25 hours and 55 minutes, while the return trip to China will take around 22 hours and 25 minutes, promising a unique and efficient travel experience for passengers. This revival not only underscores Air China’s commitment to bridging continental divides but also significantly enhances travel options for tourists and the global Chinese community, promising to boost tourism and foster greater cultural connections between China, Spain, and Brazil.

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