NZ Herald's Political Editor Thomas Coughlan on what the PM Christopher Luxon has managed to achieve during his trip to China.
China Eastern Airlines has revealed its plans to launch direct flights between Auckland and Buenos Aires by the end of the year.
It comes after Immigration Minister Erica Stanford announced that Chinese passport holders transiting through Aotearoa would be eligible for a New Zealand electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), removing theneed to apply for more costly transit visas.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the ease on transit requirements for Chinese visitors has made “a route from China via New Zealand a more attractive option for both tourists and airlines”, aligning with the Government’s goal of boosting economic growth.
Adding to its daily Shanghai to Auckland flights, China Eastern’s new route – nicknamed the “Southern Link” – will connect China and South America via Auckland with twice-weekly flights.
The service will take off from Shanghai Pudong Airport from December onwards, transiting at Auckland Airport before flying on to Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport.
The airline made the announcement in Shanghai yesterday at a ceremony attended by Luxon, who is currently visiting China with Tourism Minister Louise Upston and a 28-person business delegation.
China Eastern's twice-weekly flights will connect Shanghai and Buenos Aires via Auckland. Photo / 123rf
“This new connection to Auckland between the dynamic economies of Asia and South America is a great step forward and will support a more resilient and diverse aviation network that benefits travellers, trade and tourism,” Luxon said.
“As a country we are working hard to grow tourism back to 2019 levels and beyond, because doing so will drive economic growth right across the country.
“This new route is estimated to bring an additional $48 million in annual visitor spend to New Zealand.”
Currently, the only direct flight to South America is Latam Airlines’ Auckland to Santiago service.
Stanford told Newstalk ZB’s Early Edition the new route would help lower the price of trans-Pacific travel, increase freight capacity and boost the number of international students coming from South America.
China Eastern's direct flights from Auckland to Buenos Aires will begin in December 2025. Photo / 123rf
China has long sought to find a hub that could open up connections to South America as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and Auckland appears to be positioned as its preferred choice.
With Chinese arrivals sitting at about 65% of pre-Covid levels, the Government is making it cheaper to visit and easier to travel on short notice by extending the NZeTA to valid Chinese passport holders.
The NZeTA digital form costs $17 and can be processed in 24 hours. It’s valid for up to two years and allows multiple entries.
Before the change, Chinese visitors had to spend $235 for a transit visa, which could take up to four days to process.
“International connections are a crucial part of our plan to drive economic growth,” Stanford said.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon arriving in Shanghai for a trade mission on June 18. Photo / Thomas Coughlan
“We rely on robust and affordable air connectivity to bring people to our beautiful country, and to get our high-quality products out to the world.”
Auckland Airport chief executive Carrie Hurihanganui said the Southern Link had been in talks “for a number of years”, but progress stalled during the pandemic as New Zealand’s borders closed and global travel faced widespread disruption.
“It’s fantastic news for New Zealand’s tourism and trade ambitions. While we have rebuilt our aviation connections with China, visitation is still recovering,” Hurihanganui said.
“The bonus with this new connectivity is it also helps address a big gap in our direct capacity between New Zealand and South America, which is down 53% compared to the pre-pandemic period.
“That reduction in capacity has contributed to $76.7m less visitor spend, 32% fewer Kiwi businesses connecting face-to-face in South America and a 16% decline in cargo volumes.”
Beyond the economic benefits of connecting Aotearoa to Argentina, Hurihanganui said the 40,000 South Americans who live here will have a new link home, and the service would test Auckland’s potential in becoming a key Asia-Pacific aviation hub for tourism and trade.
“There is an opportunity here for New Zealand to grow beyond being the final stop on a long-haul flight”.
Today, Luxon and Christchurch Airport board chair Sarah Ottrey signed a separate agreement between Christchurch Airport and the Shanghai Airport Authority to strengthen air links and grow trade and tourism between China and the South Island.
