Norse Atlantic Airways became the first airline ever to fly a Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Antarctica. The B787 flew down to Troll Research Station on the frozen continent from Cape Town, South Africa.
The Boeing 787-9 with registration LN-FNC, named “Everglades,” landed at Troll Airfield (QAT) at 02:01 local time on Thursday morning as fight N0787 from Cape Town.
Led by Norse Atlantic Airways and contracted by the Norwegian Polar Institute and Aircontact, the Dreamliner transported scientists from the Norwegian Polar Institute, and logistics crew, along with essential equipment and cargo for Troll Research Station, as well as other stations across Antarctica.
“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. 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.”
Bjørn Tore Larsen, CEO of Norse Atlantic Airways.
Aboard the historic flight were 45 passengers, including scientists from the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) and other countries, destined for different stations in Antarctica. In addition, the B787 also transported 12 tons of essential research equipment crucial for Antarctic exploration.
Having departed from Oslo on November 13th, the Dreamliner made a stop in Cape Town, South Africa, before embarking on the Antarctic leg. Departing Cape Town at 23:03 on Wednesday, the aircraft spent over 40 hours in South Africa before its historic landing at Troll Airfield.
The special charter flight landed at Troll Airfield following the five-hour flight from Cape Town, after extensive preparations to make the airfield ready for such a large visitor.
“This (the flight) demonstrates our capability of performing more effective flight operations to Antarctica by carrying a larger scientific and logistics crew, more cargo, with a smaller environmental footprint”
Camilla Brekke, Norwegian Polar Institute Director
In addition to being the first Boeing 787 to land in Antarctica, the flight has also set the record as being the largest aircraft to land at Troll Airfield.
Feature Image via Norse Atlantic Airways