Cape Town, Antarctica: Portuguese charter airline Hi Fly has successfully completed the world’s first Airbus A330 landing on an Antarctic ice runway, marking a major milestone in the evolution of polar aviation. The aircraft touched down at Wolf’s Fang Runway in Queen Maud Land after departing from Cape Town, South Africa. The historic flight was operated using an Airbus A330-302 registered as 9H-HFI and was commanded by Hi Fly Vice-Chairman Captain Carlos Mirpuri, who has previously led several pioneering polar operations for the airline. The mission was conducted on behalf of luxury expedition operator White Desert Antarctica as part of the 2025–26 Antarctic summer season. Wolf’s Fang Runway is a blue-ice airstrip carved out of glacial ice and used for logistics, scientific operations and high-end tourism. In November 2021, Hi Fly made global aviation history by becoming the first airline to land a widebody commercial jet on an Antarctic ice runway. The aircraft used was an Airbus A340-300, which touched down on the blue-ice Wolf’s Fang Runway in the interior of Antarctica. The deployment of the A330 was made possible following recent upgrades to ground-handling and runway-support infrastructure at Wolf’s Fang. These improvements now allow safe operations of modern twin-engine widebody aircraft in one of the world’s most challenging aviation environments. The shift from the four-engine A340 to the twin-engine A330 also brings significant environmental and efficiency benefits. The A330 offers lower fuel consumption, reduced emissions and improved operating economics, aligning with growing sustainability expectations for Antarctic operations. Aviation analysts say the successful A330 landing sets a new benchmark for polar operations and opens the door for broader use of modern, fuel-efficient aircraft for both tourism and scientific logistics in Antarctica. With expanding infrastructure and proven aircraft capability, operators could increasingly rely on twin-engine widebodies for future missions. While Russian cargo jets and military aircraft had operated on Antarctic ice runways earlier, Hi Fly became the first commercial airline to land a widebody passenger jet on Wolf’s Fang Runway in Antarctica’s interior in 2021, followed by the world’s first Airbus A330 ice-runway landing in 2025. For White Desert Antarctica, the milestone strengthens its ability to transport guests, researchers and critical supplies to one of the most remote locations on Earth with improved capacity and lower environmental impact.
Airlines

Hi Fly Makes History With 1st Airbus A330 Landing On Wolf’s Fang Antarctic Ice Runway

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Cape Town, Antarctica: Portuguese charter airline Hi Fly has successfully completed the world’s first Airbus A330 landing on an Antarctic […]