A319 service to Antarctica

© Australian Antarctic Division 2006

The Australian government has started air service from Hobart, Australia to the Wilkins Runway in Antarctica. The route is flown by a single Airbus A319-115LR, which is capable of flying from Hobart to Antarctica and back without refueling (the flight takes about 4.3 hours). The first flight, which was made earlier this week, was a proving flight and only carried operational personnel - regular passenger flights will hopefully get approval from authorities to commence soon. (View a video of the landing here.)

According to the website of the Australian Antarctic Division, the service will operate during the summer months only (too cold during the winter!). The Wilkins Runway is basically 'paved snow' on top of blue ice, but is still capable of handling an Airbus A319. If all goes well, the flights will take about 19 passengers in a highly flexible configuration, which allows it to transport a combination of both passengers and cargo. It can also serve as a medical evacuation plane, too.