Hi Fly, a widebody wet lease and charter specialist, has made history by completing the first-ever landing of an Airbus A330 on Antarctica.
The aircraft touched down safely on Wolf’s Fang Runway — a blue-ice runway — on Monday night.
The A330 connected Cape Town, South Africa, to the remote airfield, as part of Hi Fly’s continued collaboration with Hi Fly’s ongoing partnership with White Desert Antarctica for the 2025-26 season.
The A330 shares the same fuselage as Hi Fly’s A340, but is powered by two engines instead of four, delivering comparable performance with greater cost efficiency and an improved environmental footprint.
Twin-engine operations at Wolf’s Fang runway are now possible thanks to additional ground support equipment that was not in place when Hi Fly began Antarctic flights five years ago.
“Highly reliable, comfortable, and with an excellent safety record, the aircraft performs exceptionally well in extreme polar conditions,” said Hi Fly.
In 2021, Hi Fly became the first operator to land an A340 on Antarctica.
From its base in Portugal, Hi Fly offers its wet lease and charter services to airlines, governments, tour operators, companies, and individuals.
The company is recognised for its expertise in special operations, humanitarian missions, and flights to remote and environmentally-challenging locations, such as Antarctica.