Emirates has begun flying non-stop from Dubai to Auckland.

The inaugural flight was operated with an Airbus A380 instead of the regularly scheduled Boeing 777-200LR.

At just under 16 hours from Dubai to Auckland and about 17 hours and 15 minutes in the other direction, the daily flight is one of the longest in the world.

The flight offers approximately 17 tonnes of cargo capacity, which the airline expects to benefit meat, dairy and other perishable exporters in New Zealand.

Emirates also flies three daily A380 services to Auckland via Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. The non-stop flight reduces journey times by almost three hours each way, according to the airline.