12 Tons of Fresh Food and Fresh Faces Touches Down on the Blue Ice

The first Boeing 787 to touch the Antarctic ice pack arrived courtesy of Norse Atlantic Airways, supporting the Norwegian Polar Institute.

Dreamliner LN-FNC, nicknamed “Everglades”, touched down on the ‘blue ice runway’ at Troll Airfield (QAT) loaded for bear with 12 tons of essential research equipment. Along with all the fresh supplies came 45 new faces, scientists from the Polar Institute and its associated partners around the world. They made their way from Oslo, Norway on the 13th of November, passing down to Cape Town, South Africa, before embarking on the final chilly leg of their journey. The runway makes for an unusual operating environment for the 787, being made entirely of packed for all 3,000 by 60 meters.

"It is a great honor and excitement on behalf of the entire team Norse that we have achieved together a momentous moment of landing the first 787 Dreamliner,” said Bjørn Tore Larsen, CEO of Norse Atlantic Airways, ”In the spirit of exploration, we are proud to have a hand in this important and unique mission. It is a true testament to our highly trained and skilled pilots and crew, and our state-of-the-art Boeing aircraft."

“The most crucial aspect is the environmental gain we can achieve by using large and modern aircraft of this type for Troll,” said Camilla Brekke, Norwegian Polar Institute director. “This can help reduce overall emissions and the environmental footprint in Antarctica” says Brekke before adding, “Landing such a large aircraft opens up entirely new possibilities for logistics at Troll, which will also contribute to strengthening Norwegian research in Antarctica.”

FMI: www.flynorse.com