Hi Fly successfully landed a A340 widebody jet on an ice runway in Antarctica for the first time

Hi Fly, a Portugal-based aircraft wet lease specialist, has successfully landed an Airbus A340 in Antarctica for the first time. The widebody aircraft flew 2,500 nautical miles (2,879 miles/4,633 km), from South Africa to Antarctica and back, for a total of over ten hours. The pioneering flight and landing were conducted in preparation for the upcoming season, when the company will take scientists, plus a small number of passengers and cargo, to the White Continent.

The A340 is considered “reliable and comfortable,” with a remarkable safety record and a very long range, which is why it was chosen for this mission. Captain Carlos Mirpuri, his crew, and a small number of passengers departed on November 2 from Cape Town, South Africa. The destination was Wolf’s Fang Runway in Antarctica.

This blue glacial ice runway has a depth of 1.4 km (0.8 miles) of solid air-free ice. The runway is 3,000 meters (9,840 feet) long, with grooving carved along its side with the help of special equipment. The Captain reported in his log that the weather was good, and runway friction reports were also looking good.

A specific issue when it comes to blue glacial ice runways is the strong reflection – the pilot needs to wear proper eyewear and be extra cautious when landing the airplane. In this particular case, there were also no navigation aids available at the location – which is why the Captain also reported that it was challenging to establish the correct adjustments for landing, with the runway being hard to distinguish from the white surroundings.

The first-ever landing of an A340 widebody aircraft on a blue glacial ice runway in Antarctica was definitely exciting for the Captain, his crew, and everybody on board, and luckily things went even better than expected. After this trailblazing flight, the aircraft will fly more frequently to the White Continent in the upcoming summer season. autoevolution.com