VIDEO / Hi Fly has operated the world’s first Airbus A340 flight to Antarctica

Hi Fly has made history once again by landing, for the first time ever, an Airbus A340 in Antarctica. Captain Carlos Mirpuri and his crew flew the aircraft from Cape Town to the White Continent with 23 passengers on-board, then back.

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The journey is 2,500 nautical miles, flying for just over 5 hours each way. The aircraft will be used this season to fly a small number of tourists, alongside scientists and essential cargo to the White Continent. 9H-SOL is an A340-313HGW (High Gross Weight) with a maximum take-off weight of 275 tons. Highly reliable, comfortable, with an excellent safety record, the aircraft was carefully chosen to perform well in this extreme environment. Its exceptional range and 4 engine redundancy also makes it ideal for this type of remote operation. The turnaround in Antarctica took less time than the initially planned three hours.