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The first Boeing 787 Dreamliner landed in Antarctica, becoming the largest aircraft ever to land at the snow-covered Troll Airfield. The historic flight was led by Norse Atlantic Airways and contracted by the Norwegian Polar Institute and Aircontact, transporting essential research equipment and scientists to the remote station in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica.
There were 45 passengers on the milestone flight, including scientists from NPI and other countries, all headed to stations in Antarctica. The flight also transported 12 tons of research equipment crucial for Antarctic exploration. The journey began in Oslo, Norway on Nov. 13 and made a stop in Cape Town, South Africa. The 787 embarked on its final leg on Wednesday, heading to Troll Airfield."It is a great honor and excitement on behalf of the entire team Norse that we have achieved together a momentous moment of landing the first 787 Dreamliner," Norse Atlantic Airways CEO Bjørn Tore Larsen said. "In the spirit of exploration, we are proud to have a hand in this important and unique mission. It is a true testament to our highly trained and skilled pilots and crew, and our state-of-the-art Boeing aircraft."
Antarctica does not have conventional paved runways, instead featuring icy landings, and daunting for even the most experienced pilots. Troll's runway is 10,830 foot by 330-foot runway on glacial blue ice. NPI owns and operates the runway and nearby research station. Troll is used for many intercontinental flights operating from Cape Town International Airport, frequently flying long-range aircraft and smaller aircraft around the region. By using a larger aircraft, the research station can reduce its environmental impact by reducing the number of flights and overall emissions.
"The most crucial aspect is the environmental gain we can achieve by using large and modern aircraft of this type for Troll," NPI Director Camilla Brekke said. "This can help reduce overall emissions and the environmental footprint in Antarctica. Landing such a large aircraft opens up entirely new possibilities for logistics at Troll, which will also contribute to strengthening Norwegian research in Antarctica."
This mission was a breakthrough in aviation missions in Antarctica, paving the way for future flights with large aircraft. With larger cargo space, research teams can transport equipment and personnel with fewer trips, taking less time and creating fewer emissions. Aircontact, Scandinavia's largest and leading air broker firm, contracted the flight with Norse Atlantic.A historic moment for Norse??The first ever @BoeingAirplanes B787 Dreamliner to land in Antarctica! We are incredibly honoured to be a part of this piece of history, marking a very special milestone for Norse. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Norwegian Polar… pic.twitter.com/i2V1ZQZFAe— Norse Atlantic Airways (@flynorse) November 16, 2023
"We've been involved in missions to the Antarctic for years. The Dreamliner's huge cargo space makes it perfect for these flights," Aircontact Broker and Spokesperson Daniel Carey said.
"The 787 Dreamliner stands out for its exceptional fuel efficiency, enabling a round-trip flight from Cape Town to Antarctica without the need for refueling," said Paul Erlandsson, field service representative for Boeing. "This not only ensures swift turnarounds but also significantly benefits the environment by eliminating logistical complexities of transporting, storing, and handling fuel in Antarctica. Paired with the aircraft's impressive 150 cubic meters of cargo capacity distributed across three cargo holds, and a cargo loading system designed for easy handling of pallets and containers, the Dreamliner excels at meeting the demands of this mission."
Video shared by NPI showed the impressive Boeing landing, with bits of snow trailing behind the aircraft. The impressive landing is a huge milestone in Antarctic research, allowing teams to do more while reducing its environmental impact.
"This demonstrates our capability of performing more effective flight operations to Antarctica by carrying a larger scientific/logistics crew, more cargo with a smaller environmental footprint, Brekke shared on X, formerly Twitter.