Amongst runways with challenging terrains, crosswinds, and bumps, a new thrill emerges for apprehensive travelers: an ice runway.
In an extraordinary move, Norse Atlantic Airways successfully guided a Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Antarctica. The landing occurred on a “blue ice runway,” a unique strip carved out of snow and ice, measuring 3,000 meters (9840 feet) in length and 60 meters (100 feet) in width.
Touching down at Troll Airfield just after 2 a.m. amidst the bright Antarctic summer, this marked the first Dreamliner landing on the sixth continent. The aircraft, a widebody capable of carrying up to 330 passengers depending on the model, made an exceptional journey.
However, Flight N0787 wasn’t an ordinary passenger route. The 45 passengers included scientists from the Norwegian Polar Institute, embarking on a mission to transport both them and 12 tons of equipment to the Troll research station in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica.
This remarkable journey wasn’t a mere flight across the ocean. Departing from Oslo on November 13, the plane made a stop in Cape Town before proceeding southwards on Wednesday night for the monumental landing.
Daniel Carey from Aircontact, the flight’s organizing broker, emphasized the Dreamliner’s spacious cargo hold as a crucial factor for the journey. Paul Erlandsson, a Boeing field service representative, highlighted the aircraft’s fuel efficiency, enabling the round trip between Antarctica and Cape Town without refueling.
Norse Atlantic Airways CEO, Bjørn Tore Larsen, expressed immense pride in the team’s accomplishment, praising their highly trained crew and cutting-edge Boeing aircraft that contributed to this groundbreaking moment.
Camilla Brekke, director of the Norwegian Polar Institute, emphasized the environmental benefits of employing larger modern aircraft. She stressed their role in reducing emissions and ecological footprints in Antarctica, foreseeing a significant improvement in logistical capabilities at Troll to bolster Norwegian research efforts in the region.
