For the fifth consecutive year, Hi Fly has returned to the White Continent, marking a significant milestone in its pioneering Antarctica operations.
The 2025 season, running from November through February, commemorates five years since the airline’s historic 2021 flight, when the first-ever Airbus A340 landed on Antarctica.
The A340-300 registered 9H-SUN operated the season’s inaugural flight for client White Desert Antarctica, connecting Cape Town, South Africa, to Wolf’s Fang Runway and back. The experienced crew, with Commander Carlos Mirpuri, Vice-Chairman of Hi Fly, at the controls once again, continues a tradition of excellence, precision, and adventure that began with the inaugural mission.
This year’s anniversary flight featured a special commemorative moment on site, as the crew posed with a plaque proudly inscribed: “Celebrating 5 Years in Antarctica”, honoring half a decade of successful operations in one of the most remote and challenging environments on Earth.
The journey covered an impressive 2,500 nautical miles each way, with a flight time of just over five hours. The Airbus A340 remains the largest commercial airliner ever to operate in Antarctica, a record underscoring Hi Fly’s capability and commitment to innovation.
Reflecting on the milestone, Commander Mirpuri said: “Each year we return to Antarctica, we are reminded of the uniqueness of this mission, where precision flying, teamwork, and respect for the environment all come together. Reaching the five-year mark is a proud achievement for Hi Fly and a testament to the dedication of everyone involved.”
Hi Fly’s Antarctica operations continue to demonstrate the company’s expertise in complex and demanding missions, reinforcing its standing as a global leader in wet lease and charter aviation.
Hi Fly is a leading widebody aircraft wet lease and charter specialist, offering worldwide services to airlines, governments, tour operators, companies, and individuals. Operating an all-Airbus fleet with a strong focus on safety, reliability, and sustainability, Hi Fly is renowned for its expertise in special operations, humanitarian missions, and pioneering flights to some of the most challenging and remote locations on Earth, including its groundbreaking Antarctic operations.
Captain´s Log
With 81 tons of fuel on board and 15 tons of payload, A340 9H-SUN performed the first mission of Hi Fly’s 5th Antarctica season for White Desert. Under the command of Carlos Mirpuri and his outstanding crew, the A340 delivered once again.
As the sun sets on this amazing aircraft, missions like this stand as a testament to its capabilities. It has served us well and has been the source of many joyful moments. 9H-SUN is the last A340 in our fleet and will soon be replaced by equally capable but more efficient aircraft.
This first landing took place at 1 a.m. local time, with the sun skimming the horizon and katabatic southeasterly winds of up to 25 knots making the temperature of minus 16 degrees Celsius feel much lower. A rotation time of 1 hour and 45 minutes shows how prepared the ground teams are down at Wolf’s Fang Runway. The flight to the Ice lasted 5 hours and 45 minutes, and the return flight 5 hours.
Captain Mirpuri emphasized that “without dream teams like the ones we have, none of this would be possible. That includes not only our flight crews, cabin crews, engineers, and ground coordinators, but also all those back in the office whose work is often unseen yet just as important as any other. A can-do attitude is in our DNA.”
A special thank you to the White Desert team — they do a tremendous job making these missions possible, and we deeply appreciate their trust in us and their continued partnership.