On May 11, China Southern Airlines will launch its first passenger flight from Shenzhen to Mexico City, thus setting a new record as the longest nonstop regular commercial flight to originate in China.
The 16-hour nonstop journey from Shenzhen will cover a distance of around 14,147 kilometers (8,790 miles).
According to aviation industry data, the new route is ten percent longer than the 12,878-kilometer Guangzhou to New York route.
The return trip, which includes a layover in Tijuana, has a flight time of around 21 hours and 20 minutes. (That journey requires a refueling stop in Tijuana owing to the weaker aircraft operating performance from the high-altitude Mexico City airport.)
The Airbus A350 service will operate twice weekly, leaving Shenzhen on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and returning from Mexico City on Wednesdays and Sundays.
The new air route reflects Mexico and China’s growing trade ties, and the higher number of Chinese visitors to this country for both business and tourism. According to Bloomberg, China’s direct investment in Mexico reached US$587 million in 2022, the highest on record, according to Mexico’s Economy Ministry. The countries’ two-way trade has risen 38 percent over the past four years, based on Bank of Mexico statistics for the 12 months through November 2023, versus the corresponding 2019 period.