Despite potentially offering shorter flight paths, Antarctica remains largely inaccessible to commercial flights, and a pilot has recently shed light on why.
Marita, a Spanish aviation expert, took to TikTok to explain why airlines tend to avoid flying over the frozen continent, which spans an impressive 14.2 million square kilometres (5.5 million square miles) – making it larger than Europe.
So, what prevents planes from taking a shortcut over this vast icy landscape? Marita shared her insights in a video, explaining that despite advancements in aviation technology, very few flights travel this way due to the varying thickness of Earth’s atmosphere.
“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 explained.
She went on to say that the thickness of the atmosphere directly affects human health as it protects us from solar radiation. “If aeroplanes fly through the troposphere but it is very thin, we will receive more radiation.”
She also made the startling claim that over their career span, an airplane pilot “receives more radiation than someone working in a nuclear power plant.” She emphasised the importance of minimising pilots’ exposure to radiation.
There are several reasons why commercial airlines typically steer clear of the South Pole’s airspace. One is that there is a lack of emergency landing sites should problems arise.
Marita continued: “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 further pointed out communication hurdles when flying over Antarctica, noting: “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 warned that cruising above the frozen terrain isn’t a pleasant experience, either, telling fliers: “Flying from Argentina to Australia over Antarctica might be super-fast, but it won’t be comfortable; it will be turbulent.”
The severe weather conditions only accentuate Antarctica as one of the most daunting meteorological zones, leading her to stress: “No company is going to commit to a route there” However, she did mention that while aerial travel over this icy expanse isn’t illegal, it’s hardly cost-effective, remarking: “There are private companies that, for a modest price of 15,000 Euros (around £12,500), will take you for a ride.”