An Australian aviation team conducted a challenging midwinter rescue mission to evacuate a US expedition member from McMurdo Station in Antarctica. The operation took place on Friday, July 31, 2026, following an urgent medical evacuation request.

The Airbus A319, operated by Skytraders and known as Snowbird 1, faced extreme conditions including total darkness and temperatures as low as -43°C (-45.4°F). The plane was configured with a stretcher by engineers and a design team over 24 hours, with takeoff delayed an additional 12 hours awaiting a suitable weather window.

Captain Louise Robertson, one of four pilots on the flight departing from Hobart, Tasmania, told the BBC it was the first such mission completed in July and entirely in darkness. Her husband, Rod Robertson, piloted the landing at the US research station on Ross Island.

"He was in the left seat and I was in the right seat," Louise Robertson said, describing the operation as the most complex in her 25 years as a pilot and seven years with Skytraders.

Captain Al Wallach, another pilot on the mission, highlighted the expertise of the entire team, including flight crews, meteorologists, operational planners, runway teams, and medical personnel. He noted, "Every Antarctic mission demands absolute precision, but winter operations raise the complexity significantly. The conditions we encountered were right on the edge of even the most specialised aircraft capability."

After safely transferring the patient onboard, the plane flew to Christchurch, New Zealand, where the patient received medical treatment.

Sources