DAP Airlines plane landing at King George island, one of the only Antarctic places connected by air (Image: Getty)
While flying over Antarctica could potentially shorten some flight routes, the frozen continent remains largely off-limits to commercial air travel – and for good reason, as a pilot recently explained.
Marita, a Spanish aviation expert, took to to reveal why airlines are reluctant to fly over Antarctica, which spans approximately 14.2 million square kilometers (5.5 million square miles). This makes it the fifth largest continent on Earth, even larger than Europe.
So, why don’t planes typically take a shortcut over this vast icy expanse? Fortunately, Marita was on hand to share her expertise.
In a video, she explained that despite advances in aviation technology, there are hardly any flights that fly over Antarctica due to the varying thickness of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Antarctica, which spans approximately 14.2 million square kilometers (5.5 million square miles) (Image: Getty Images)
“The layers of the atmosphere are not the same all over the planet. Due to the planet’s rotation, they are thicker at the equator than at the poles,” Marita said.
According to the pilot, the atmosphere’s thickness has a direct impact on human health, as it shields us from solar radiation.
“If aeroplanes fly through the troposphere but it is very thin, we will receive more radiation,” Marita explained.
She further claimed that over the course of their career, an aeroplane pilot “receives more radiation than someone working in a nuclear power plant”.
“We have to take that into account and try not to expose pilots to radiation,” she added.
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There are several compelling reasons why the skies above the South Pole remain empty of regular commercial flights. One significant concern cited being that “the aeroplane and ice are very bad friends, especially fuel,” with a notable absence of emergency airports in case things go awry.
Marita revealed: “We have to understand that most of our planet’s landmass is on one side of the planet. The Pacific, for example, takes up half of it.”
She also highlighted the communication issues over Antarctica, stating: “Flights are avoided because there are no towers to stay in contact with humans. If something happens, it’s not just that there’s no one there; it’s that no one knows.”
Marita also cautioned that passengers would not enjoy flying over the icy continent. She added: “Flying from Argentina to Australia over Antarctica might be super-fast, but it won’t be comfortable; it will be turbulent.”
The ruthless weather conditions further make Antarctica one of the harshest meteorological zones, so she emphasised: “No company is going to commit to a route there”.
Despite these challenges, the pilot pointed out that it isn’t actually illegal to traverse this frozen wasteland by air.
She explained that while permissible, such an adventure certainly isn’t budget-friendly, noting: “There are private companies that, for a modest price of 15,000 Euros (around £12,500), will take you for a ride.”