China Southern Airlines Launches Record-Breaking Shenzhen-Mexico City Flight

China Southern Airlines is making history by introducing its first non-stop passenger flight between Shenzhen and Mexico City, setting a new record for the longest regular commercial route originating in China with an intercontinental distance of approximately 14,147 kilometers (8,790 miles) each way. The inaugural journey departs from Shenzhen on May 11 and covers a duration of 16 hours without stops en route to Mexico City. Flights will operate every Tuesday and Saturday in one direction before switching to Wednesdays and Sundays for the return trip, with an estimated flight time of 21 hours and 20 minutes due to a brief refueling stopover at Tijuana during which passengers cannot leave the plane. China Southern’s newest route overtakes its existing Guangzhou-New York service as the furthest nonstop commercial journey departing from Chinese airports, with Singapore Airlines currently holding the title for the world’s longest regular flight between New York and Singapore at 15,332 kilometers. The aviation industry has been gradually restoring suspended or reduced long-haul routes since China reopened its borders to international travelers last year following pandemic restrictions. Chinese carriers such as China Southern Airlines were among the first to operate services between Asia, North America and Europe during that period; they restarted these lines in April 2017 when Guangzhou became the initial mainland city to offer direct flights from Mexico City via Vancouver.