A team of scientists broke new ground recently when a plane capable of carrying more than 300 passengers landed in Antarctica, with aviators hailing it as a world first. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner successfully slipped down on Troll Airfield, while basking in Antarctica’s all-day summer sunlight. The plane carried a 45-person team of researchers and staff from the Norwegian Polar Institute and 12 tons of research equipment. Troll Airfield is a 1.8-mile-long strip of blue ice and operates only between October and March, before winter sets in and the sun disappears for half a year. While the landing has been hailed as a landmark achievement, there is no indication that commercial flights are planned, as the institute focuses on improved logistics to boost its research.
