The Punta Arena-based Chilean carrier Aerovías DAP plans to operate over 150 flights to Antarctica between November 2022 and March of 2023, an increase of 30% over last summer, it was announced.
The repatriation flight organised by the Falkland Islands Government arrived this morning, 31 July 2020, from Punta Arenas, Chile returning two Falkland Island residents to the Islands, and departing with 30 passengers on-board.
A statement entitled ‘Progress made towards establishing a second commercial Falkland Islands air link’ released last week by the Falkland Islands Government, but too late for publication in the Penguin News, has met with a mixed reception in the Islands. While some have expressed favor others have reservations and questions as witnessed by readers’ letters in this Friday edition.
Punta Arenas. Chile seems determined to remain as the main calling point for Antarctica scientific and logistics support. This month two private undertakings were inaugurated which confirmed that determination, one of them is the DAP's MV Betanzos a scientific vessel for Antarctica research, and the second in the Antarctic Warrior, belonging to the Petromar company and which has been conditioned to transport supplies and fuel to Antarctica.
Aerolíneas Argentinas announced Friday a series of adjustments to its operations which will increase the seating capacity by 10% for peak summer season destinations - DAP starts flying between Ushuaia and Punta Arenas - The neverending story of Bolivia's haunted airport.
Chilean privately owned DAP Airways inaugurated this week the link between Punta Arenas, extreme south of Chile and Ushuaia, capital of Argentine Tierra del Fuego, a flexible commercial service that includes two weekly flights during the summer season and with the main purpose of increasing connectivity in the region and favoring tourism.
Early Friday morning a DAP aircraft with over fifty passengers left Punta Arenas, extreme south of Chile, on a chartered flight for Santiago and then Mendoza, Argentina to be present at this evening’s Chile-Uruguay match for the Copa America.
Chile’s DAP airlines, which at one time was the link between Punta Arenas and the Falkland Islands, has incorporated a second BAE-146 for seasonal charter flights to Antarctica.