Antarctica Air Bridge Option
By Anne Kalosh
Reaching the otherworldly wonders of Antarctica from South America means crossing the Drake Passage, a notoriously rough patch of sea. This usually takes two days each way on an expedition cruise ship.
I’ve done it several times and, yes, it can be bad.
One way to skip the “Drake shake” is by flying. It costs more, but some people are willing to pay to avoid bookending their Antarctica adventure with seasickness. Another plus, for some, is that it makes a shorter trip.
Punta Arenas — King George Island
This option is currently available only by charter flight between Punta Arenas, Chile, and King George Island in the South Shetlands, where there’s an air strip serving the research stations operated by 10 countries, including Chile.
Using this “air bridge” now offered by several expedition cruise lines, travelers fly there to embark their ship. And after exploring Antarctica, they disembark at King George Island and fly back to Punta Arenas.
Now interests in southern Argentina are hoping to establish an air bridge between Ushuaia and Antarctica that would provide another option.
Ushuaia — Dundee Island
This comes as Argentina significantly upgrades its Petrel Base on Dundee Island in the Antarctic Peninsula with capacity for two landing strips, a loading dock, scientific research facilities and the ability to serve as a regional emergency response center.
The possibility of adding an Argentine air bridge for expedition cruisers “came as a need we saw in the market as Ushuaia hasn’t had an air option,” explained Veronica Baldasso Palacios, managing director of Delver Agents, which serves a wide range of expedition ships operating from Ushuaia.
Parties in Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego province are discussing this initiative, which would use private charter air — Baldasso declined to specify the operator — and require a major investment and government permitting.
Petrel Base is located closer to the Antarctic Peninsula than King George Island. And Ushuaia itself is closer than Punta Arenas in Chile, which Baldasso translated into lower fuel costs and CO2 emissions.
Argentina’s Petrel Base is located closer to the Antarctica Peninsula than King George Island, where Chile’s air bridge for expedition cruises operates.
Small Silver of Travelers
Currently, only 3% of Antarctica cruisers, or about 6,000 of the estimated 100,000 who visited by ship in the 2023/24 season, went by by air bridge, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO).
Chile’s Antarctica21 pioneered the concept 20 years ago, and recently it’s been introduced by lines including Silversea Cruises, Atlas Ocean Voyages and Lindblad Expeditions.
Lindblad Expeditions CEO Sven Lindblad recently spoke of the success of its newly introduced fly-cruise product. With sales for an older ship, National Geographic Explorer, lagging compared to its newer, fancier National Geographic Endurance and National Geographic Resolution, the line introduced a fly-cruise option between Punta Arenas and King George Island using the older vessel.
“It filled up, essentially instantly,” Sven Lindblad said.
RELATED: Here’s more on Lindblad’s air bridge options.
When Lindblad Expeditions added an air bridge option with an older ship, National Geographic Explorer, in Antarctica, sales picked up immediately. * Photo: Lindblad Expeditions
On an Antarctica trip aboard Silversea Cruises’ Silver Endeavour, I took the air bridge one way. And while it wasn’t wild like the Drake, it was still an adventure, waiting on the wind-whipped St. George Island for the small plane to arrive and then taking off from a gravel air strip.
RELATED: Read Anne’s review of her Silver Endeavour Antarctica cruise.
Silversea passengers embark an air bridge flight at King George Island bound for Punta Arenas, Chile. * Photo: Anne Kalosh
2025/26 Season?
According to Delver Agents’ Baldasso, there’s a lot of work to be done before Argentina could open an air bridge but the hope is that it could be available starting in late 2025, for the 2025/26 Antarctica cruise season.
She indicated “great interest” from expedition cruise lines.
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