Flights to Antarctica

Flights to Antarctica: Fly Over the Antarctic

Interested in flying to Antarctica? Now, more than ever, you can tailor your trip to Antarctica.

Whether you’re looking for information about flights to Antarctica, Antarctic helicopter charters, or Antarctica air-cruise (“fly the Drake”) combinations, we’ve got you.

LANDED compiled this free guide to Antarctica Flights to help you navigate your options.

Antarctica Air-Cruise Combinations

Two companies now offer Antarctic flight-plus-cruise options, allowing travelers to fly over the Drake Passage, substituting a 2-hour flight to Antarctica for the approximately 50-hour journey by ship. Some programs offer flights in both directions, or you can fly in and take a ship back out.

Flights to Antarctica operate between the commercial airport in Punta Arenas (in Chile’s far south) and Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva (a Chilean base on King George Island in the South Shetland Islands). The “Frei Station” base serves some meteorological functions, but the 1300-meter gravel airstrip (Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Martin Airport; IATA: TNM) is its most noteworthy feature. The airstrip handles approximately 50 intercontinental Antarctica flights and 150 intracontinental flights per season.

Nearby research bases are operated by Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Russia, Korea, China, Poland, and Uruguay. Some Antarctica programs include visits to one of these neighboring bases.

LANDED Antarctica flights are aboard a powerful BAe (British Aerospace) 146: a four-engine jet aircraft with two pilots.

Once you’ve arrived in Antarctica by air, you can board a cruise ship for sailing in the calmer, protected waters between the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.

An 8-day air-cruise program might have a plan such as this:

Since air-cruise operations began in 2003, approximately 82% have left on time.

Another 14% of Antarctica flights operated either one day early or one day late. Roughly 3% flew with a delay of two days. Less than 1% operated three days late.

Approximately 1% of Antarctic air cruises were canceled (i.e. could not operate by 2 PM on Day 4).

It is not possible to obtain a higher allowance by paying a fee. Instead, excess luggage can be stored in Punta Arenas. Laundry service is available onboard the ships, and the dress code on board is “Stay warm.”

When you fly, you’ll already be wearing your cold-weather gear; that gear will not be counted as part of your checked or carry-on luggage.

Helicopter Charter Flights and Tours

LANDED arranges private helicopter flights to and tours of Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, and the South Shetland Islands of the Antarctic.

Fleet options include:

Eurocopter AS 355
The Eurocopter AS 355 F2 helicopters have capacity for 5 passengers, not including the pilot. Maximum cargo capacity, with passengers, is 200 kilograms.

BO-105
The BO-105 helicopters have capacity for 4 passengers, not including the pilot. Maximum cargo capacity, with passengers, is 200 kilograms.

Scenic Overflight and Helicopter Flights

Scenic helicopter overflights and tours are available in these locations throughout Patagonia and Antarctica:

• Darwin Mountain Range glacier overflight
• Cape Horn overflight
• Fly fishing helicopter day trips
• From El Calafate, Argentina
• Overflight of El Chalten, with views of Mount Fitz Roy
• Overflight of the Perito Moreno Glacier
• Overflight of Lago Argentino and Mount Buenos Aires
• On the island of Tierra del Fuego
• Fly fishing on Strobel Lake
• From Punta Arenas, Chile
• Day trip to the king penguin colony at Bahia Inutil
• Overflight of Marinelli Glacier
• Fly fishing day trips
• Day trips to Cape Horn National Park

Start your journey today