The inhospitable, southernmost continent of the world continues to fascinate travellers after over two decades since commercial airplanes began to fly over.

Pioneering the skies of Antarctica

In the late 1970s, Qantas Airways and Air New Zealand pioneered commercial air travel over Antarctica. Mr Albert See, MD and CEO of ASA Holidays, shared his experience when he flew from Sydney to the icy desert on-board Qantas between 1978 and 1979. As he plainly put it, no words could truly describe the surreal experience.

When commercial Antarctic flights were re-launched in 1994, interest in seeing the cold region grew once again. According to Mr See, however, decades have past but there’s still no travel group from Asia that organizes trips that could take curious travellers above and across mountains covered in thick snow.
 

Witnessing the white landscape

Chartered and private, Qantas Antarctica flights starts with crucial preparation of skillful pilots days before take-off. The captain selects the best route from satellite cloud images and finalises a clear flight plan. Safety in the skies remains paramount for these pilots, but they also make sure that passengers can fully immerse in the opportunity of seeing the white landscape from a bird’s eye view.

The ultimate view of Antarctica onboard a Qantas Airways special flight.

 
Qantas has had at least 110 flights, approximately 40,000 passengers, and 19 approved flight plans to Antarctica since the re-launch of commercial travel in 1994. It’s high time that tourists from Southeast Asia get the chance to see the final frontier of travel.
 

Celebrating the new year over Antarctica

ASA Holidays and Qantas Airways have put together a historic voyage to Antarctica with a special New Year’s Eve flight. This once-in-a-lifetime spectacle is a chance to witness the geographic wonders of the white continent with scientific researchers joining on-board to tell their stories. A bespoke in-flight service for passengers comes with scrumptious food and drinks while a deft jazz musicians will make the voyage an incredibly memorable celebration.

The opportunity to fly over the final frontier of travel has arrived. For more information, visit asaholiday.com or call (65) 6303 5303.

This article was first published on Travel Guide Issue No. 50 in collaboration with ASA Holidays.
 
Image credits:

ASA Holidays/Qantas Airways