Can planes fly over Antarctica?


Can planes fly over Antarctica? The short answer is, no, it's not illegal to fly over Antarctica. But there are practical considerations that make it challenging for regular airlines to navigate across the land. In many parts of Antarctica, there's limited or no infrastructure, no landing strips, and obviously no refuelling stations for planes.


Has a plane ever crashed in Antarctica?

The Mount Erebus disaster occurred on 28 November 1979 when Air New Zealand Flight 901 (TE-901) flew into Mount Erebus on Ross Island, Antarctica, killing all 237 passengers and 20 crew on board. Air New Zealand had been operating scheduled Antarctic sightseeing flights since 1977.


Why is everyone traveling to Antarctica?

Spectacular scenery, amazing wildlife, extraordinary history… a journey to the 'White Continent' will remind you just how special our planet is, and how important it is to protect this fragile environment. Here are seven of the most memorable things you'll see on your Antarctic expedition cruise…


Has all of Antarctica been explored?

In 1911, a Norwegian team led by explorer Roald Amundsen first reached the South Pole. Since then, there have been thousands of expeditions across the continent, for adventure as well as science. However, due to the challenging terrain and extreme temperatures, many areas of Antarctica have not yet been fully explored.


Is it rare to go to Antarctica?

Fly-ins are the only way for tourists to reach the vast sole of Antarctica and a great option for adventurers looking to do some serious hiking, camping, skiing or climbing in a pristine landscape. Fly-ins are rare and less than 500 people a year travel to the vast interior.


Has anyone tried to go to Antarctica?

Because Antarctica is so far and has such extreme weather, very few people have ever visited the continent at all. This means that your vacation will make you a part of the continent's history.


Are there portals in Antarctica?

The Portal (located at78.0629°S 159.300°E) is the gap between the Lashly Mountains and Portal Mountain, through which the main stream of the Skelton Glacier enters the Skelton Névé from the polar plateau.


Why planes don t fly over Antarctica?

Thanks to the low visibility and undeveloped infrastructure, flying over Antarctica is extremely difficult. Specifically, because of the strong magnetic fields that surround the polar regions, navigating there, no matter how well-equipped the airplane is in terms of instrumentation, can be particularly challenging.


What happens if a plane flies over Antarctica?

Planes can and do sometimes fly over Antarctica, it is not a no-fly zone and it is not illegal, it is just very impractical to do so. Smaller planes fly lower and have to deal with challenging weather conditions, snow-falls, white-outs and icing problems.