China Eastern Airlines will fly year round between Auckland and Shanghai as air links between the two countries expand rapidly.
The four-flights-a-week service using an Airbus A330-200 will start in September.
China Eastern operated a seasonal service for the first time on the Auckland-Shanghai route this summer and that proved successful enough to step it up to year-round.
Auckland Airport's general manager aeronautical commercial Norris Carter said the service would add 100,000 seats per year on the route, contributing an estimated $122 million to the New Zealand economy.
"We have experienced great growth in Chinese visitors travelling to New Zealand during the peak season, with the 2015 Chinese New Year setting a record for Chinese arrivals to New Zealand," Carter said.