Airbus A340 Pilot Makes History in Antarctica

Commander details first-ever A340 landing in one of the coldest and most remote places on Earth.

Thom Patterson

Tuesday, November 23, 2021 at 01:18 PM ET

Verified

“We were joyful,” said pilot Carlos Mirpuri about the historic landing. Credit: Hi Fly/Marc Bow

Key Takeaways:

Commercial aircraft company Hi Fly achieved a historic first by successfully landing an Airbus A340 widebody jet on Antarctica's blue glacial Wolf's Fang Runway on November 2.
The mission, originating from Cape Town, marks the beginning of planned flights during the Southern Hemisphere's warm season to transport tourists, scientists, and essential cargo.
The flight presented unique challenges, including carrying enough fuel for both legs, landing a heavy aircraft on a specially grooved ice runway, and navigating with polar techniques due to limited communication and navigation aids in the remote Antarctic region.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The mighty Airbus A340 widebody four-engine jet has been flying around the world since it entered service in the early 1990s, but its destinations have never included the remote continent of Antarctica. Until now.

Wet-lease commercial aircraft company Hi Fly checked that box on November 2, with a first-of-its-kind flight from Cape Town, South Africa, (FACT) to Antarctica’s blue glacial landing strip known as Wolf’s Fang Runway (WFR, no ICAO code).