Summary
- Norse Atlantic Airways will operate a charter flight to Antarctica, originating in Norway and making a stop along the way. This would be the first time a Boeing 787 Dreamliner lands in Antarctica.
- The flight is likely destined for the Troll Research Station in Queen Maud Land, which has been a year-round research station since 2005. The runway at Troll Airfield needs constant monitoring and resurveying for air operations.
- Travel to Antarctica is increasing in popularity, especially during the Southern Hemisphere Summer. Aircraft charters are in high demand to transport scientists, supplies, and visitors to the continent, including places like the White Desert and Queen Maud Land.
According to Ishrion Aviation, Norse Atlantic may soon be bound for the frozen continent. The proposed charter flight would commence in the carrier’s home country of Norway before stopping en route. This is important because it would be the first time the Boeing 787 Dreamliner landed in Antarctica.
Ishrion Aviation mooted the flight on its X page (formally Twitter) and presumed that the flight is required to shuttle people and cargo to the Norwegian Polar Institute, where in the past, they have deployed a variety of airlines to provide transport, including Smartwings, Icelandair, and Portuguese carrier, HiFly.
Destination Queen Maud Land?
While nothing is confirmed, if the Norwegian Polar Institute recruited the airline, it would be presumed the aircraft would be destined for Troll Research Station, which is located in Queen Maud Land, Norway’s claim to Antarctica—a year-round research station since 2005, with a capacity for up to 70 researchers.
Aircraft destined for the Troll Airfield usually stop en route at Cape Town (CPT) before touching down on a glacial blue ice runway at 10,830 ft in length (3,300 m). The airfield is 4,024 ft (1,232 m) above sea level and 4.2 miles (6.8 km) inland from the Princess Martha Coast. The runway must be constantly monitored and resurveyed to be utilized for air operations.
Low-cost Czech carrier Smartwings first flew its 737 MAX to Antarctica in January this year. Notably, the airline was the first to deploy the model to the world’s largest desert, operating a charter service for Aircontact to transport members of the Norwegian Polar Institute. This flight was the third of such an endeavor for Smartwings. Over two days, the crew safely carried researchers from Bremen, Germany, and Oslo.
Increase in charters over the Southern Hemisphere summer.
Travel to the continent to increase in popularity over the Southern Hemisphere Summer, where aircraft charters are requested to transport scientists, supplies, and visitors. The Norwegian Polar Institute, Norwegian Meteorological Institute, and the Norwegian Institute for Air Research carry out vital research at Troll; however, intriguingly, it’s not just scientists that head to the frozen continent, such as the White Desert and their carbon-neutral trips to Queen Maud Land.
Across Antarctica, there are up to fifteen runways for fixed-wing aircraft. However, there are no actual ‘airports’ with scheduled services. While there has been an increase of commercial jet-liners requested for charter to the frozen continent, it is more common for military aircraft and small turboprops to be seen. Such as the US Air Force frequently using its C-130 and C-17 military aircraft to transport its research staff between Christchurch, New Zealand, and McMurdo Station.