The plane landed on a “blue ice runway” on Wednesday.
A Boeing 787 has become the largest passenger plane to land on Antarctica’s blue ice runway. The flight, named Everglades and operated by North Atlantic Airlines, landed at Troll Airfield in Antarctica on Wednesday.according to CNN, this is the first time the Dreamliner, a wide-body aircraft capable of carrying up to 330 passengers, has arrived on the sixth continent. “A historic moment for Nordics! The first ever Boeing Airplanes B787 Dreamliner has landed in Antarctica! We are very honored to be part of this history, which is a very special milestone for Nordics! ” the airline said in a social media post. .
“The largest aircraft ever to land at #TrollAirfield!” It proves our ability to carry out flight operations,” said NPI Director Camila Brekke. ” tweeted the Norwegian Polar Research Institute, along with footage of the plane landing.
Watch the video below.
largest aircraft ever to land #TrollAirfield!
“This demonstrates our ability to run more effective flight operations. #Antarctica We can transport more scientific/logistics staff and carry more cargo with a smaller environmental footprint,” said NPI Director Camila Brekke. pic.twitter.com/7vjsSw0gPI— Norsk Polarinstitutt // Norwegian Polar Institute (@NorskPolar) November 16, 2023
according to press releaseThe airline said the Dreamliner’s mission was to “deliver critical research equipment and scientists to the remote Troll Research Station in Antarctica’s Queen Maud Land.” The flight carried 45 passengers, including scientists from the Norwegian Polar Research Institute, and carried 12 tons of research equipment essential for Antarctic exploration.
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Nordic Atlantic CEO Björn Torre Larsen expressed his immense pride and honor in achieving this historic milestone. “On behalf of the entire Team Nordic, I am honored and excited to have achieved this momentous moment together with the landing of the first 787 Dreamliner. In the spirit of exploration, we are committed to this important and unique mission. “This is a true testament to our highly trained and skilled pilots and crew, as well as our state-of-the-art Boeing aircraft,” he said in a statement.
The flight took off from Oslo on Monday, stopping in Cape Town before embarking on the arduous journey to Antarctica, according to a press note. North Atlantic Airways said the Dreamliner was able to fly from Cape Town to Antarctica and back without refueling. The plane landed on Wednesday on a “blue ice runway” about 2 miles (about 3,000 meters) long and 200 feet (about 60 meters) wide.
