Unreal footage reveals Boeing 757 landing flawlessly in the world’s most challenging environment
- Footage shows a Boeing 757 landing in Antarctica
- The runway isn’t paved and is made of blue ice
- The first 757 landed in Antarctica in 2015
Published on Apr 27, 2024 at 11:13 AM (UTC+4)
by Siddharth Dudeja
Last updated on May 09, 2024 at 6:38 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Nalin Rawat
We all know the Boeing 757 is a seriously capable plane while being abnormally large and luxurious.
It also has a hidden perk, if you will — it can even land on plain ice in the middle of nowhere.
That’s right, this video shows a Boeing 757-200 landing on a blue ice runway in Antarctica.
A passenger aboard the plane filmed the video, and it seems like the plane is about to land on hard ice.
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The 757 is a large plane often dubbed the Ferrari of commercial planes.
Landing it on a runway made of blue ice is a remarkable feat, and nothing short of a mighty skill.
Antarctica isn’t a popular tourist destination, by any means, but it sees its fair share of tourists each year.
However, most flights carry passengers for research or industrial operations to the icy continent.
This Boeing 757 landed on Earth’s southernmost continent’s Union Glacier Blue-Ice Runway.
Located in the Ellsworth Mountains’ Heritage Range, it serves as the only way for humans to reach the Union Glacier camp.
Now, that’s a worthy addition to the most dangerous airports in the world.
While this view of the Boeing 757 landing on blue ice is spectacular, it wasn’t the first time a 757 landed on a blue ice runway.
Back in 2015, Loftleider Icelandic Airlines was the first airline to land the 757 commercial jet in Antarctica.
Larger jets like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner also made history last year by landing on Troll Airfield, Antarctica.
Flights going to Antarctica aren’t anything like your regular flights.
The crew undergoes advanced training to adapt to the extreme conditions in case there’s an emergency.
Moreover, the airline also includes spare parts, fuel, and extra supplies because it’s harder to maintain the plane in such a remote location if something goes wrong.
There are no paved runways or traditional airports in Antarctica.
Hence, all planes must land on runways made of gravel, sea ice, blue ice, or compacted snow.
There’s also a risk of extreme weather conditions during some parts of the year.
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