First Class flight to Antarctica in a personal Airbus A340 jet

April 19, 2023

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Wednesday newsletters all the time characteristic a lodge or flight overview.

Final February, I loved a chic vacation that I’ll keep in mind as my most epic journey ever: a visit to Cape City (South Africa) and Antarctica (the seventh Continent). You possibly can learn my journey experiences right here:

At the moment: First Class flight from Cape City to Antarctica in a personal Airbus A340 jet

Final January, I flew in a personal Airbus A340 jet from Cape City Worldwide Airport to a blue-ice runway in Antarctica, a rare journey which took round 5 hours and half-hour. The flight was operated by the airline Hello Fly and chartered by White Desert, the primary and solely operator taking company into the not often seen inside of Antarctica. White Desert has been pioneering luxurious journey within the White Continent since 2005 and makes use of both a Gulfstream G550 or an Airbus A340 to fly its company, explorers, scientists and freight to its camps and several other analysis facilities in Antarctica. When its Airbus A340 touched down in Antarctica for the very first time final yr, it made headlines around the globe. Visitor can guide the flight as a day journey (with three hours on the bottom in Antarctica) or choose to remain at one in every of White Desert’s luxurious camps in Antarctica (with actions together with mountaineering, abseiling, fats biking, and journeys to the South Pole & Emperor penguins).

Journey: Cape City to Wolf’s Fang Runway
Airline: Hello Fly
Plane sort: Airbus A340-300
Plane registration quantity: 9H-TQZ
Departure time: 7 pm
Arrival: 10:30 pm
Miles: 2300 miles (4630 km)
Flight time: 5 hours and half-hour
Seat: 1K
Class: First Class

On this overview (extra data & photographs under my YouTube video):

About White Desert
Sustainability
Security briefing
Airport lounge
Airbus A340
First Class cabin & seat
Dinner
Leisure
Touchdown in Antarctica

1. ABOUT WHITE DESERT

Pioneers of luxurious journey in Antarctica, White Desert was established by record-breaking polar explorer duo Patrick and Robyn Woodhead in 2005. Born out of a want to permit individuals apart from scientists and polar explorers to see the wonders of the inside of Antarctica, the corporate has been established for 17 years and employs 120 individuals from 17 completely different nationalities. The corporate is vertically built-in and the one operator to fly company by non-public jet immediately from Cape City to Antarctica, touchdown on their very own distinctive blue-ice runway. Based with environmentally aware ideas at its core, White Desert’s mission is to create a constructive impression on Antarctica’s future (a bit much like what the safari trade has meant for environmental conservation in Africa).

Right here’s some extra details about White Desert’s founders Patrick and Robyn:

Patrick Woodhead grew up in England and as a teen, heard the tales in regards to the ‘Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration’ and names resembling Shackleton and Scott. Decided to comply with of their footsteps, he joined the youngest and quickest staff to ever attain the South Pole in 2002 after which went on to steer the primary ever East to West traverse of Antarctica, protecting 1850km (1149 miles) in 75 days. Outdoors the polar world, he has been on many profitable expeditions, summiting unclimbed mountains in Tibet and Kyrgyzstan, kayaking down uncharted rivers within the Amazon and being a part of the staff to set the quickest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. In 2015, he rejoined a few of his outdated teammates to interrupt the report for the quickest traverse of Greenland. A passionate advocate for the setting, Patrick is a member of the Royal Geographical Society in London in addition to being a speaker for The Prince’s Belief charity.
Robyn Woodhead grew up in Cape City in a household of intrepid vacationers. From the start, journey journey was in her DNA. After graduating from the College of Cape City, she moved to London the place she set herself up on the planet of journey advertising and PR, occurring to discovered a UK-based luxurious journey advertising and promoting company. After an expedition to Antarctica in 2005, Robyn turned her consideration to the opposite finish of the planet and skied the final diploma to the North Pole in 2006, thereby turning into the primary South African to succeed in each Poles. Robyn has been concerned in accountable Antarctic journey since 2006 and is on a mission to create true “Antarctic Ambassadors” – former high-profile White Desert shoppers who then go on to make a distinction by their very own networks, serving to to safe the longer term and safety of Antarctica.

2. SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability is on the very coronary heart of White Desert’s mission and the corporate does every thing it may possibly to handle its impacts on the Antarctic setting. White Desert has been carbon impartial since 2007 however the firm’s largest environmental problem is after all aviation emissions. Going deep into Antarctica’s inside is likely one of the defining traits of a White Desert expertise, and that’s solely doable for the common traveler by aircraft. Nevertheless, planes produce comparatively massive quantities of carbon emissions however the firm is tackling that drawback:

Over the subsequent two years, White Desert goals to interchange all Jet A-1 gas it makes use of for its flights to, from and inside Antarctica by Sustainable Aviation Gas (SAF). SAF is produced from waste oils and fat by an progressive course of that considerably reduces lifecycle carbon emissions, creating an 80 % smaller carbon footprint in comparison with conventional Jet A-1 gas. SAF combustion additionally produces fewer particulates and sulphur oxides (SOx), thereby vastly decreasing the amount of soot particles emitted. That is significantly vital in Antarctica because the black coloration of the soot absorbs the warmth of the solar, exacerbating snow soften.
Till renewable plane gas exists on the industrial market, White Desert offsets all its flights, actions and tasks to make sure that it achieves net-zero greenhouse gasoline (GH emissions. Working with the UK-based Carbon Impartial Firm, the corporate sponsors a well-established tree planting venture within the Amazon rainforest. White Desert can also be exploring sustainability alternatives nearer to its dwelling base in South Africa, specifically seagrass meadow regeneration tasks.

It’s additionally essential to remember that White Desert doesn’t solely fly vacationers to Antarctica, but in addition explorers, scientists and tons of freight for analysis facilities.

3. SAFETY BRIEFING

A compulsory security briefing is organized by White Desert on the day earlier than the scheduled flight into Antarctica. Throughout my journey, the assembly was held at Ellerman Home, one in every of Cape City’s most unique accommodations (which I reviewed right here).

The briefing started with a brief presentation by Patrick Woodhead, CEO of White Desert, and his spouse Robyn, who’re each world record-breaking polar explorers. The presentation included particulars in regards to the aircraft, the journey and the camp. Robyn additionally defined the Antarctic Treaty System, which regulates worldwide relations with respect to Antarctica, Earth’s solely continent and not using a native human inhabitants. Enacted in 1961, the treaty asserts that no occasion can declare territorial sovereignty over any a part of the continent and that the land can be utilized for peaceable functions solely. We had been additionally proven a brief video from the Worldwide Affiliation of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) explaining our tasks while on the continent.

Through the briefing it was introduced that our flight had been pulled ahead by a day resulting from climate circumstances. White Desert has a staff of meteorologists that decide one of the best days to fly as there must be visible circumstances to land in Antarctica and low winds to take care of security. It’s the principle cause why company are required to reach in Cape City two days previous to their scheduled flight, as the precise timing of the flight is totally depending on the prevailing climate in Antarctica.

On the finish of the briefing, the White Desert employees went by our baggage to make sure that we had all of the clothes required on your time in camp and through your actions. They defined what we wanted to pack into our hand baggage in order that we had been ready for our touchdown in Antarctica. A mini-shop by a third-party provider was current on the assembly, the place extra gadgets could possibly be bought in case there was a necessity of that.

An luxurious amenity equipment was additionally offered to all company in the course of the security briefing. It comprised a water bottle, cap, ear plugs, and a writing equipment.

4. AIRPORT LOUNGE

Two hours previous to the confirmed flight, White Desert picked me up from my lodge in Cape City and dropped me on the airport’s Execujet Non-public Lounge, a facility which is used for personal flights. Right here, a lounge was out there to company, and it was additionally the proper time to fulfill different vacationers who had signed up for this White Desert journey. As soon as the aircraft was prepared for boarding, we had been pushed by automobile to the worldwide terminal, the place we needed to undergo border management and the safety check-point, earlier than being taken by bus to the plane stand.

AIRBUS A340 ANTARCTICA — CAPE TOWN PRIVATE FLIGHT TERMINAL

5. AIRBUS A340

The Airbus A340 that flew us from Cape City to Antarctica – a journey of 5 hours and half-hour – was privately chartered by White Desert and operated by Hello Fly. Hello Fly is absolutely licensed airline with two air operator certificates, one issued by Portugal and the opposite by Malta. The corporate has no scheduled locations and focuses on worldwide plane leases for airways, tour operators, governments, firms (resembling White Desert) and people.

Its 4 engines redundancy and really lengthy vary make the Airbus A340 the best airplane for this sort of distant mission. The A340 airframe that flew us to Antarctica was stationed for your entire month of January in Cape City, shuttling company, researchers and freight between South Africa and Antarctica on behalf of White Desert. The aircraft, with registration quantity 9H-TQZ, was inbuilt 1997 and used to fly for Singapore Airways (1997-2004) and later Emirates (2004-2013), earlier than becoming a member of the Hello Fly fleet.

6. FIRST CLASS CABIN & SEAT

The ex-Emirates A340 jet supplied 267 seats in First, Enterprise, and Financial system Class, however passengers had been seated within the premium cabins: the 42 Enterprise Class seats had been assigned to White Desert employees and company who had booked a daytrip to Antarctica, whereas White Desert’s camp company had been seated within the First Class cabin, which had 12 seats in a 2-2-2 structure.

All cabins had a classic look because the aircraft nonetheless featured the outdated Emirates cabin design. In First Class, this meant plenty of gold and wood trims, becoming Emirates’ signature fashion. The First Class seat, whereas outdated, was nonetheless very snug however nonetheless dated in comparison with at the moment’s First Class seats. A monitor – displaying the flight route – was hidden within the seat’s middle armrest whereas the seat’s different armrest held the tray desk, the seat controls and a handheld distant. The angle lie-flat seat allowed a recline to a close to 180 levels.

7. DINNER

Throughout this flight, a 3-course dinner was served shortly after takeoff. The menu learn as follows:

Starter: Carpaccio of beetroot & tomato with whipped cheese mousse and tapenade
Important course: Charred beef fillet topped with wild mushrooms, served with potato dauphinoise and sautéed inexperienced beans
Dessert: Greek lemon cake with a ardour

Parts had been a bit on the small facet however the meal was respectable nonetheless (though the meals paled compared to the advantageous delicacies supplied at White Desert’s flagship camp Echo in Antarctica).

8. ENTERTAINMENT

A pill with a small number of films and documentaries was offered, in addition to noise cancelling headphones. The inflight journal was changed by a flyer making ready us for our touchdown in Antarctica.

9. LANDING IN ANTARCTICA

One hour previous to touchdown, the captain turned the cabin temperature down and passengers had been required to alter into their Antarctic equipment. The final a part of the flight was extraordinarily scenic as the large plane slowly descended over the magical Antarctic panorama on its method to Wolf’s Fang runway, a blue ice runway which is privately operated by White Desert. Arriving at Antarctica really felt like an emotional expertise that I had by no means felt earlier than throughout all my years of touring across the globe.

There are not any airports on the White Continent, however there are 50 touchdown strips and runways, Wolf’s Fang being one in every of them. The runway is known as after Wolf’s Fang Mountain (Ulvetanna in Norwegian), one of the crucial iconic mountains in Antarctica, which dominates the runway’s skyline. Extremely, it takes 22 hours to groom and put together the runway previous to a jet touchdown and White Desert has a devoted staff on website which consistently displays the runway. Wolf’s Fang is designated a C Degree “airport, which signifies that solely extremely specialised crew can fly there resulting from difficult circumstances.

Upon touchdown all passengers had been welcomed by White Desert’s floor staff in Antarctica (which counts greater than 80 employees members from greater than 17 nationalities). A 4×4 Arctic truck took us from the runway to Echo camp, a 15 min drive amongst staggering lovely iced landscapes. To be continued …