MODO AVIÓN

Shanghai to Buenos Aires flight path

PVG → EZEPVGEZE
The shortest path on the sphere. On a flat map it looks curved; on the globe it is a straight line.

Along the shortest route, the flight from Shanghai to Buenos Aires covers 12,180 miles (19,600 km) — about 23 h 00 min with no wind. It passes over or close to People's Republic of China, the Philippines, Indonesia and Argentina. It crosses Yangtze, Hangzhouwan and the East China Sea: 61% of the route is over water. Today you leave on UTC+8 and land on UTC−3.

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From Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) to Ezeiza International Airport - Ministro Pistarini (EZE) · PVG · EZE

PVGShanghai
EZEBuenos Aires
Great-circle distance
19,600 km
Duration, no wind
23 h 00 min
Over water
61 %
Time difference today
−11 h

The route drawn is the theoretical one — the shortest path on the sphere. The real aircraft follows airways, avoids storms and closed airspace, and rides the wind: it can be hundreds of kilometres off.

What countries do you fly over from Shanghai to Buenos Aires?

  • People's Republic of China
  • Philippines
  • Indonesia
  • Argentina
  • Yangtze
  • Hangzhouwan
  • East China Sea
  • Philippine Sea
  • Samar Sea
  • Sibuyan Sea
  • Visayan Sea
  • Celebes Sea
  • Molucca Sea
  • Banda Sea
  • Savu Sea
  • Timor Sea
  • Indian Ocean
  • Great Australian Bight
  • Southern Ocean
  • Atlantic Ocean

Which side of the plane to sit on to see Mount Kirkpatrick

To see Mount Kirkpatrick (4,528 m), sit on the left: it lies about 11 km from the route, ≈ 15 h 15 min into the flight.

Left window
  • Zhoushan ≈ 25 min
  • Cebu City ≈ 2 h 55 min
  • Budta ≈ 3 h 20 min
  • Malingao ≈ 3 h 20 min
  • Tatamailau (2,986 m) ≈ 5 h 25 min
  • Mount Kirkpatrick (4,528 m) ≈ 15 h 15 min
  • Mount Kaplan (4,230 m) ≈ 15 h 20 min
  • Mount Fridtjof Nansen (4,069 m) ≈ 15 h 30 min
  • Faure Peak (3,940 m) ≈ 15 h 55 min
Right window
  • Cixi ≈ 20 min
  • Shangyu ≈ 25 min
  • Ningbo ≈ 25 min
  • Jiaojiang ≈ 35 min
  • Taizhou ≈ 35 min
  • Taipei ≈ 1 h 00 min

Left and right facing forward, on the theoretical route. Times are from take-off, with no wind.

Leg by leg

2 h4 h6 h8 h10 h12 h14 h16 h18 h20 h22 hUTC+9UTC+8UTC+8:45UTC+10UTC+8UTC+13UTC−3UTC+8YangtzeMolucca SeaGreat Australian BightSouthern OceanLuzonClarie CoastTransantarctic MountainsMount Kirkpatrick 4,528 m 11 kmMount Kaplan 4,230 m 59 kmMount Fridtjof Nansen 4,069 m 67 kmFaure Peak 3,940 m 41 kmTatamailau 2,986 m 93 kmBudta 94 kmMalingao 97 kmCebu City 56 kmPVGEZE▲ Left window▼ Right window◀ Left windowRight window ▶2 h4 h6 h8 h10 h12 h14 h16 h18 h20 h22 hUTC+9UTC+8UTC+8:45UTC+10UTC+8UTC+13UTC−3YangtzeMolucca SeaGreat Australian BightSouthern OceanPhilippinesBonaparte ArchipelagoClarie CoastTransantarctic MountainsZhoushan29 km off routeCebu City56 km off routeBudta94 km off routeMalingao97 km off routeTatamailau2,986 m · 93 kmMount Kirkpatrick4,528 m · 11 kmMount Kaplan4,230 m · 59 kmMount Fridtjof Nansen4,069 m · 67 kmFaure Peak3,940 m · 41 kmCixi62 km off routeShangyu99 km off routeNingbo35 km off routeJiaojiang53 km off routeTaizhou57 km off routePVGEZEUTC+8

LandWaterCity, with its distance from the routePeakClock change

See the full list, leg by leg
  1. Take-off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport
  2. Yangtze and Hangzhouwan — 1,960 km without land0 km · ≈ 15 min into the flight
  3. Cixi, People's Republic of China — on the right, 62 km away103 km · ≈ 20 min into the flight
  4. Shangyu, People's Republic of China — on the right, 99 km away118 km · ≈ 25 min into the flight
  5. Zhoushan, People's Republic of China — on the left, 29 km away131 km · ≈ 25 min into the flight
  6. Ningbo, People's Republic of China — on the right, 35 km away138 km · ≈ 25 min into the flight
  7. Jiaojiang, People's Republic of China — on the right, 53 km away269 km · ≈ 35 min into the flight
  8. Taizhou, People's Republic of China — on the right, 57 km away272 km · ≈ 35 min into the flight
  9. Taipei, Taiwan — on the right, 79 km away673 km · ≈ 1 h 00 min into the flight
  10. Below: Philippines1,440 km · ≈ 1 h 55 min into the flight
  11. Below: Luzon1,960 km · ≈ 2 h 30 min into the flight
  12. Land again1,960 km · ≈ 2 h 30 min into the flight
  13. Water starts: Samar Sea and Sibuyan Sea2,030 km · ≈ 2 h 35 min into the flight
  14. Below: Negros2,290 km · ≈ 2 h 55 min into the flight
  15. Land again2,290 km · ≈ 2 h 55 min into the flight
  16. Cebu City, Philippines — on the left, 56 km away2,330 km · ≈ 2 h 55 min into the flight
  17. Below: Mindanao2,550 km · ≈ 3 h 10 min into the flight
  18. Celebes Sea — 784 km without land2,610 km · ≈ 3 h 15 min into the flight
  19. Budta, Philippines — on the left, 94 km away2,670 km · ≈ 3 h 20 min into the flight
  20. Malingao, Philippines — on the left, 97 km away2,680 km · ≈ 3 h 20 min into the flight
  21. Below: Greater Sunda Islands3,200 km · ≈ 3 h 55 min into the flight
  22. Below: Sulawesi3,400 km · ≈ 4 h 10 min into the flight
  23. Land again3,400 km · ≈ 4 h 10 min into the flight
  24. Molucca Sea and Banda Sea — 1,050 km without land3,460 km · ≈ 4 h 15 min into the flight
  25. Local time below changes: UTC+8 to UTC+93,660 km · ≈ 4 h 25 min into the flight
  26. Below: Malay Archipelago3,720 km · ≈ 4 h 30 min into the flight
  27. Local time below changes: UTC+9 to UTC+83,720 km · ≈ 4 h 30 min into the flight
  28. Below: Lesser Sunda Islands4,380 km · ≈ 5 h 15 min into the flight
  29. Tatamailau, 2,986 m — on the left, 93 km away4,470 km · ≈ 5 h 25 min into the flight
  30. Below: Timor4,510 km · ≈ 5 h 25 min into the flight
  31. Land again4,510 km · ≈ 5 h 25 min into the flight
  32. Water starts: Timor Sea and Indian Ocean4,640 km · ≈ 5 h 35 min into the flight
  33. Below: Bonaparte Archipelago5,100 km · ≈ 6 h 05 min into the flight
  34. Below: Kimberley Plateau5,290 km · ≈ 6 h 20 min into the flight
  35. Below: Great Sandy Desert5,550 km · ≈ 6 h 40 min into the flight
  36. Below: Western Plateau6,010 km · ≈ 7 h 10 min into the flight
  37. Below: Gibson Desert6,080 km · ≈ 7 h 15 min into the flight
  38. Below: Great Victoria Desert6,470 km · ≈ 7 h 40 min into the flight
  39. Below: Nullabor Plain6,860 km · ≈ 8 h 10 min into the flight
  40. Local time below changes: UTC+8 to UTC+8:456,990 km · ≈ 8 h 15 min into the flight
  41. Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean — 3,790 km without land7,120 km · ≈ 8 h 25 min into the flight
  42. Local time below changes: UTC+8:45 to UTC+1010,780 km · ≈ 12 h 40 min into the flight
  43. Below: Clarie Coast10,910 km · ≈ 12 h 50 min into the flight
  44. Below: Antarctic Plateau11,310 km · ≈ 13 h 15 min into the flight
  45. Local time below changes: UTC+10 to UTC+811,310 km · ≈ 13 h 15 min into the flight
  46. Below: Transantarctic Mountains12,870 km · ≈ 15 h 05 min into the flight
  47. Local time below changes: UTC+8 to UTC+1312,940 km · ≈ 15 h 05 min into the flight
  48. Below: Queen Alexandra Range13,000 km · ≈ 15 h 10 min into the flight
  49. Mount Kirkpatrick, 4,528 m — on the left, 11 km away13,010 km · ≈ 15 h 15 min into the flight
  50. Below: Queen Maud Mountains13,070 km · ≈ 15 h 15 min into the flight
  51. Mount Kaplan, 4,230 m — on the left, 59 km away13,100 km · ≈ 15 h 20 min into the flight
  52. Mount Fridtjof Nansen, 4,069 m — on the left, 67 km away13,290 km · ≈ 15 h 30 min into the flight
  53. Faure Peak, 3,940 m — on the left, 41 km away13,620 km · ≈ 15 h 55 min into the flight
  54. Below: Ellsworth Mountains14,380 km · ≈ 16 h 45 min into the flight
  55. Local time below changes: UTC+13 to UTC−314,440 km · ≈ 16 h 50 min into the flight
  56. Below: Antarctic Peninsula15,290 km · ≈ 17 h 50 min into the flight
  57. Water starts: Southern Ocean15,880 km · ≈ 18 h 30 min into the flight
  58. Below: Anvers Island16,270 km · ≈ 18 h 55 min into the flight
  59. Southern Ocean and Atlantic Ocean — 2,880 km without land16,340 km · ≈ 19 h 00 min into the flight
  60. Below: Falkland Islands17,710 km · ≈ 20 h 35 min into the flight
  61. Below: Pampas19,210 km · ≈ 22 h 20 min into the flight
  62. Land again19,210 km · ≈ 22 h 20 min into the flight
  63. Landing at Ezeiza International Airport - Ministro Pistarini19,600 km · ≈ 22 h 45 min into the flight

Times assume a typical jet speed, no wind and an on-time departure. Good for orientation, not for your watch.

Which side the sun, sunrise or sunset will be on

Enter the day and take-off time. Your phone does the maths: the sun's position on every leg of the route, relative to the nose of the aircraft.

Take-offLanding

Sky: light is daytime, amber is sunrise or sunset, dark is night. Left and Right show which side the sun is on for each leg.

Follow the route offline in airplane mode

All of this on board and with no signal: with your phone in airplane mode, Modo Avión shows where you are, what's below and how long is left. GPS still works, because it only listens to satellites.

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Arriving in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires · Photo: ProtoplasmaKid · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Flight time and distance

About 23 h 00 min with no wind, including half an hour of taxi, climb and descent. On a long flight the wind aloft can change that by more than an hour, differently each way.

12,180 miles (19,600 km, 10,590 nautical miles) along the great circle. The real flight covers a little more because it follows airways.

Time zones you cross

kmTimeZone
0 kmUTC+8Shanghai
3,660 kmUTC+9Jayapura
3,720 kmUTC+8Makassar
6,990 kmUTC+8:45Eucla
10,780 kmUTC+10DumontDUrville
11,310 kmUTC+8Perth
12,940 kmUTC+13McMurdo
14,440 kmUTC−3Rothera

Airspace (FIRs) along the route

Each is a control region: when the aircraft crosses the boundary, the centre talking to the pilot changes. Boundaries are approximate, from the VATSIM data set, not the official ICAO chart.

  • Shanghai
  • Taipei
  • Fukuoka
  • Manila
  • Ujung Pandang
  • Brisbane (Territory North) 123.85
  • Brisbane (Ashmore) 133.4* (123.85)
  • Brisbane (Kimberley) 132.1* (123.85)
  • Melbourne (Newman) 125.4* (134.0)
  • Melbourne (Alice Springs) 128.85
  • Brisbane Radio (Indian) 129.25
  • McMurdo (Mac)
  • Pascua
  • Punta Arenas
  • Comodoro Rivadavia
  • Mount Pleasant (Monte Agradable)
  • Comodoro Rivadavia
  • Ezeiza

FAQ

Where does the plane fly from Shanghai to Buenos Aires?

Along the shortest route, the flight from Shanghai to Buenos Aires covers 12,180 miles (19,600 km) — about 23 h 00 min with no wind. It passes over or close to People's Republic of China, the Philippines, Indonesia and Argentina. It crosses Yangtze, Hangzhouwan and the East China Sea: 61% of the route is over water. Today you leave on UTC+8 and land on UTC−3.

What countries do you fly over from Shanghai to Buenos Aires?

It passes over or close to People's Republic of China, the Philippines, Indonesia and Argentina, and crosses Yangtze, Hangzhouwan and the East China Sea. This is the theoretical route: the aircraft may deviate for wind or closed airspace.

How long is the flight from Shanghai to Buenos Aires?

About 23 h 00 min with no wind, including half an hour of taxi, climb and descent. On a long flight the wind aloft can change that by more than an hour, differently each way.

How far is Shanghai from Buenos Aires by plane?

12,180 miles (19,600 km, 10,590 nautical miles) along the great circle. The real flight covers a little more because it follows airways.

How much of the flight is over water?

61% of the route, about 11,890 km. The longest stretch without land is 3,790 km.

Why doesn't the plane fly in a straight line on the map?

It does fly straight — on a sphere. On a flat map the shortest path looks curved; on the globe on this page it looks like what it is.

Does GPS work in airplane mode?

Yes. GPS is a receiver: it listens to satellites and transmits nothing, so it keeps working in airplane mode. What you won't have is a map unless you downloaded it; Modo Avión carries its own.

More routes

The way back: Buenos Aires → Shanghai

Look up another route

How this was calculated

The route is the great-circle arc between both airports, split into 300 points. At each point a point-in-polygon test runs against 1,102 airspace regions, 418 time zones and 1,338 physical geography regions. Countries are those with a town within 25 km of the route: in empty areas one may be missing. Cities named have over 250,000 people and lie within 110 km.

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