Portuguese wet-lease specialist Hi Fly has flown an Airbus A330-300 to Antarctica, claiming a first for the twinjet type.
The carrier’s operated the aircraft – registered to its Maltese division – from Cape Town to the 3,000m blue-ice runway at Wolf’s Fang on 1 December.
Hi Fly had previously flown an A340-300 (9H-SOL) on the same route in 2021.
But the introduction of additional ground-support equipment – previously not available – has enabled the use of the A330.
Hi Fly states that the use of an A330 for the flight “represents a new era in sustainable, flexible operations” to the “challenging” Antarctic environment, adding that the jet “performs exceptionally well” in the polar conditions.
“Landing in Antarctica is never routine,” says Hi Fly vice-chair Capt Carlos Mirpuri, who was in charge of the A330 as well as the previous A340 sortie.
“Every flight demands careful planning, exacting precision, and respect for the environment.”
Hi Fly used the airframe 9H-HFI, powered by GE Aerospace CF6 engines, and the flight was conducted in co-operation with Antarctic tour operator White Desert.
Norse Atlantic Airways had previously flown a Boeing 787-9 twinjet to the Troll station airfield in Antarctica in November 2023.
