MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Antartica tourist flights from Ushuaia.

Beginning January an Argentine company will be organizing Antarctic air tours leaving from Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego.

According to Experience Antarctica tourists will fly in Hercules C-130, with a 70 seat capacity, taking off early morning and returning to Ushuaia in mid afternoon after having spent four hours in Antactica.

The "Pioneers Route" as the air tour has been denominated includes meals with abundant calories, iceberg and glacier sightseeing with tourists dressed in special orange coloured thermal uniforms.

The tour actually begins the day before when all the tourists will be meeting with the Hercules crew, guides and company's staff to share dinner and look at films about Antarctica and a video-conference from one of the Antarctic bases. The average air fare is estimated in 1,490 US dollars.

The idea of the air tour emerged after assessing polls with visitors' opinions on the reasons for having travelled to Antarctica by cruise in 2003.

A majority of those interviewed, 70% actually replied that it was the only continent "missing to be visited".

The poll also indicated that most Antarctic visitors are Americans, 47%, followed by Germans and Britons, 13% and 12%; 6% Australians; 4% Canadians; 3% Japanese and 2% Dutch.