Flying to Antarctica is not your regular commercial flight. With a population of only a few research stations and lots of penguins, landing at the limited airstrips requires several extra steps. Here’s a look at the regulations for flights to Antarctica and what you need to fly there.
All about training
Antarctica does not feature a paved runway for commercial flights, unlike the six inhabited continents. Instead, planes land on ice runways with relatively limited technical support on the ground. Average pilots cannot make this landing, which means pilots must undertake specialist training.
On a Smartwings 737 MAX flight from the Czech Republic last week, three pilots from the pool were selected months in advance for comprehensive training. They successfully landed on a glacier near the Troll Research Station hosted by Norway.
Every airline must designate a crew to fly to Antarctica in case there are multiple missions planned. Photo: Icelandair
Icelandair is one carrier that has flown several missions to the continent in recent years. There is no restriction on what types of planes can land on the ice runways, with 737s, A320s, 767s, and A340s are safely completing the missions.
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By invite only
Since Antarctica is not open to tourism by scheduled flights, services are usually requested by stations on the ground. For instance, the US airports on the South Pole, such as the Jack F. Paulus Skiway or Williams Field, require advance clearance by the Department of Defense and National Science Foundation (NSF).
Once clearance is approved to fly to any of the four US airports across bases in Antarctica, procedures become simpler. Since most flights originate in New Zealand or Australia, regulators here will also require an advance flight plan, after which planes can contract ATC towers as usual.
Rules differ by which country is operating the airport near its research bases. However, expect to see strict permissions across the board if any essential flights need to land in Antarctica.
Lots of planning
In addition to regulatory approvals, crews bound for Antarctica undergo Arctic survival training in case things go wrong. They also prepare spare parts for the plane operating the route since availability on the ground is negligible, and sending over more can be a weeks-long process.
Notably, reaching Antarctica from South Africa, a common approach taken for airports on one side of the continent, requires many planes to fly without a diversion airport. This involves another layer of permissions from regulators since the plane will not be able to turn around for any issue after a certain point for no return.
Did you realize what went into flying to Antarctica? Let us know what you think and why in the comments!
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