Flights to/across Antarctica?

[Robbie J]

So it is said that flights are not permitted over/across Antarctica. What is the specific reason for this? Thanks in advance.

[MarkR]

There is no specific rule saying no flights, ETOPs rule out a lot of possible routes while there are plenty of flights into Antartica through the year, and of course there is the charter sightseeing flights.

[Greg Hyde]

Posted this in QF787 last week

https://simpleflying.com/qantas-boeing-787-flies-over-antarctica/

[Rowan McKeever]

There is no specific rule saying no flights, ETOPs rule out a lot of possible routes while there are plenty of flights into Antartica through the year, and of course there is the charter sightseeing flights.

Up until only a few years ago, even despite the advent of EDTO ratings that meant modern aircraft could fly anywhere in the world, CASA was still reluctant to permit what is/was known as polar operations under the rules for airline operations. Obviously survivability and survival equipment is a very different story in the Arctic/Antarctic even compared to overflying the oceans. This reluctance was believed at the time to be one of the main problems for the VA service to JNB as the optimal routing takes the aircraft into the polar region, so the VA flight had to take on extra track miles and less favourable winds.

[MarkR]

This reluctance was believed at the time to be one of the main problems for the VA service to JNB as the optimal routing takes the aircraft into the polar region, so the VA flight had to take on extra track miles and less favourable winds.

VA operated under ETOPs180 which decided their routing, nothing else.