Hi Fly Celebrates Five Years of Antarctica Flights with Latest A340 Ice Landing

Hi Fly, the Portuguese charter airline, has recently celebrated five years of flights to Antarctica. The upcoming 2025 season, spanning from November 2025 to February 2026, marks this significant milestone since the airline’s inaugural flight in November 2021, when one of its Airbus A340 aircraft successfully landed on a specially prepared runway in Antarctica.

On November 2, 2025, Hi Fly’s 25-year-old Airbus A340-300, registered as 9H-SUN, operated the inaugural flight of the 2025/26 season for charter client White Desert Antarctica. This flight connected Cape Town (CPT), South Africa, to the Wolf’s Fang ice runway (WFR) in Antarctica and back.

Co-founded by record-breaking polar explorer Patrick Woodhead, White Desert aims to make the breathtaking beauty of Antarctica more accessible to those other than just scientists and adventurers. The flight’s captain was Carlos Mirpuri, Hi Fly’s vice-chairman, who also piloted the company’s first mission to Antarctica back in 2021.

Details About Wolf’s Fang Runway

Wolf’s Fang Runway is situated in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. During the Southern Hemisphere’s summer, flights to and from this runway are operated by White Desert, a British tour company providing a private jet service to Antarctica. It is noteworthy as the first runway in Antarctica capable of handling large passenger jets for takeoff and landing. Norse Atlantic Airways has also previously operated flights to this runway.

According to a statement from Hi Fly, a celebratory moment marked the latest flight, with the crew posing next to a plaque that read, “Celebrating 5 Years in Antarctica.” This tribute honors a successful five years of operations in one of the earth’s most remote environments.

The distance between the flight’s origin and destination was a remarkable 2,500 nautical miles (4,630 kilometers) each way, with a flight time just over five hours. The Airbus A340 remains the largest airliner to have operated in Antarctica. It requires enough fuel for both the outbound and return flights, as there are no refueling options available at Wolf’s Fang.

Reflections from Captain Mirpuri

Captain Mirpuri shared his thoughts on this special charter, saying, “Every time we return to Antarctica, we are reminded of the uniqueness of this mission, where precision flying, teamwork, and respect for the environment all converge. Reaching the five-year milestone is a proud achievement for Hi Fly and showcases the commitment of everyone involved.”

Insights from the Hi Fly Crew

According to the Hi Fly website, the flight crew log for the missions (HFM801 and HFM802) notes: “With 81 tons of fuel on board and 15 tons of payload, A340 9H-SUN completed Hi Fly’s first mission of the 5th Antarctic season for White Desert, under the command of Carlos Mirpuri and his exceptional crew.”

“The latest landing occurred at 01:00 local time, as the sun skimmed the horizon and katabatic winds gusted up to 25 knots, dropping the temperature to minus 16 degrees Celsius. A 1 hour 45-minute turnaround time demonstrated how well-prepared the ground teams at Wolf’s Fang Runway are.”

The flight to Antarctica lasted five hours and 45 minutes, while the return trip took five hours. The statement emphasized the importance of teamwork, thanking everyone involved—from the flight crews and cabin staff to those behind the scenes whose contributions often go unnoticed.

Hi Fly also expressed gratitude to the White Desert team for their partnership, stating, “A can-do attitude is part of our ethos, and we deeply appreciate their trust in us.” As Hi Fly prepares to retire its last Airbus A340, they remarked on the aircraft’s legacy, saying, “As we say farewell to this exceptional aircraft, missions like this reflect the capabilities of the Airbus A340.”

Other Flights to Antarctica

Interestingly, just five days prior to Hi Fly’s operation in 2025, ACASS, a global business aviation support services provider, completed its inaugural flight to Antarctica. On October 28, 2025, a Dassault Falcon 8X flew from Cape Town to Wolf’s Fang, transporting eight team members from White Desert and a San Marino CAA inspector.

This flight was the first of seven scheduled for the ACASS-operated Falcon during the 11-week Wolf’s Fang 2025/26 operating season. Only ten business aviation flights are planned for the entire season. ACASS’s vice president of operations, Derek Holter, noted, “Flights to and from Antarctica are rare and complex due to extreme environmental conditions and logistical challenges.”