Christchurch is the world’s main gateway to Antarctica. Around 100 direct flights a year leave from our airport, carrying more than 5,500 passengers and 1,400 tonnes of cargo, including fresh food.  

Antarctic connection began in 1955 with Operation Deep Freeze, when eight US Air Force aircraft made the 14-hour flight from Harewood Airfield to McMurdo Station. Operation Deep Freeze continues today, and with the arrival of the International Antarctic Centre in 1992, Christchurch continues to embrace its Antarctic connection.