Why can't you fly from North Pole to South Pole?


Why can't you fly from North Pole to South Pole? Historically, flying close to or over the South Pole was ruled out by Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards rules. ETOPS governs how far away twin-engine jets can fly from an airport they can land at. Over land with many airports, this is no problem.


Is it illegal to go to Antarctica?

Travelers do not need permission to go to Antarctica, but tourism operators must hold a valid permit. First, a bit of background on why it is legal to visit Antarctica. Antarctica is not a country. The continent is protected by the Antarctic Treaty, which preserves it for peaceful and scientific use.


What happens if you fly past 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.


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 don t planes fly over the Antarctic?

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.