The AAD’s A319 aircraft – leased from Skytraders - left Hobart in the early hours of Friday morning, 31 July, with a team of specialists from the Australian Antarctic Division and the Centre for Antarctic, Remote and Maritime Medicine (CARMM) on board.

It arrived at McMurdo station five hours later in complete darkness.

With temperatures dipping as low as −43°C and conditions deteriorating, the crew transferred the patient onto the plane and flew to Christchurch. They are now receiving medical treatment.

“This was a complex operation carried out in the depths of the Antarctic winter, and it highlights both the capability of our people and the strong partnerships that underpin Antarctic programs around the world,” the Australian Antarctic Division’s Head of Division Emma Campbell said.

The pilot, Captain Al Wallach, said the success of the mission reflected years of preparation, specialist training and close coordination between flight crews, meteorologists, operational planners, runway teams and medical personnel.

“Every Antarctic mission demands absolute precision, but winter operations raise the complexity significantly,” Captain Wallach said.