Pilot becomes first ever to land an Airbus A340 in Antarctica in breathtaking and historic footage

This pilot made history in the aviation industry when he landed an Airbus A340 in Antarctica, straight onto snow and ice.

The success was achieved by Captain Carlos Mirpuri, Vice-Chairman of HiFly, alongside a well-equipped crew.

The event occurred back in 2021, paving the way for other airlines to follow suit and offer the chance for passengers to experience the White Continent.

Now, though, a new record has been set by HiFly, and you’ll be shocked at the title.

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This Airbus A340 touched down on ice

Most of us use airplanes to transport us off to a tropical holiday or city break, but now the humble Airbus A340 has achieved something better than ever before.

Airline Hi Fly made history when the company landed the first-ever Airbus A340 in Antarctica, and you guessed it, onto a runway full of ice.

The aircraft touched down on the glacial ice runway after taking off from Cape Town in an industry first, with the turnaround taking less than three hours.

The aircraft in question, the Airbus A340, has a take-off weight of a maximum of 275 tons, and took on the 2,500 nautical mile journey with ease.

“Our operations department conducted several months preparation of this flight and the success of our first landing is testimony to a job well done,” said Captain Mirpuri.

There were no approach navigation aids or visual aids upon approach, meaning it was a challenging task for those in the cockpit.

The hazardous and extreme conditions of the White Continent mean that many airlines choose not to fly there, but thanks to Hi Fly’s efforts, that is now an issue of the past.

Four years on and more milestones have been achieved by Hi Fly in Antarctica.

After the success of the 2021 mission to the icy region, the company kept aiming high and in 2025 celebrated five years of running flights.

With the flight time spanning just five hours, the special route allows more people than ever to experience a change from hot, Cape Town temperatures, to freezing, sub-zero snowy conditions.

Plus, what’s more, another first was accomplished this year with the company being the first to land an Airbus A330 in the region this year, too.

Would you take the scenic, icy route for a holiday?

You can watch the landing of the first Airbus A340 take place at the very top of the page.

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