Crew change in the South Atlantic

Lufthansa takes off with polar explorers on their longest passenger flight in the As mission for the Alfred Wegener Institute

On 1 February 2021, Lufthansa is launching the longest passenger flight in its history. At the same time, it is one of the most unusual flights the airline has ever carried out. On behalf of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven, the Lufthansa Group's most sustainable aircraft, an Airbus A350-900, will fly the 13,700 kilometres non-stop from Hamburg to Mount Pleasant on the Falkland Islands.

Airbus A350-900

The flight time is calculated at around 15:00 hours. There will be 92 passengers on board charter flight LH2574, a good half of whom are scientific travellers and the other half the crew for the upcoming expedition on the research vessel Polarstern. "We are delighted to be able to support a polar research expedition in these difficult times. Our commitment to climate research is very important to us. We have been active in this field for more than 25 years and have equipped selected aircraft with measuring instruments. Scientists from all over the world use the data collected during the cruise flight to refine climate models and improve weather forecasts," says Thomas Jahn, fleet captain and Falkland project manager. As the hygiene requirements surrounding this flight are extremely high, Captain Rolf Uzat and his crew of 17 went into a 14-day quarantine at the same time as the passengers last Saturday. "Despite the restrictions for the crew, 600 flight attendants alone applied for this flight," says Rolf Uzat.

The Falkland crew

The German research vessel Polarstern in the central Arctic, photo from the 2015 summer expedition

The preparations for the special flight are enormous. It starts with additional training for the pilots, through special electronic flight and landing charts, to the question of whether suitable paraffin is available at the Mount Pleasant military base for the return flight. The Airbus A350-900 is stationed in Munich and is being prepared for the flight here. In Hamburg, the aircraft is loaded with additional freight and luggage, thoroughly disinfected and sealed until departure. In addition to the catering, there are also additional containers on board for the residual waste, as this can only be disposed of after arrival in Germany. In addition to the crew, the Lufthansa team also includes technicians and ground staff for handling and maintenance on site. Due to the legal requirements in the Falkland Islands, they will go into quarantine again after landing. The return flight will take off on 3 February under flight number LH2575 with destination Munich. On board will be the crew of the Polarstern, who left Bremerhaven on 20 December to supply Neumayer Station III in the Antarctic and will now be replaced.

The German research station Neumayer Station III in the Antarctic.

Preparations for the special flight began together with the Alfred Wegener Institute in summer 2020. The usual route via Cape Town was not feasible due to the infection situation in South Africa, leaving only the route via the Falkland Islands. After landing on the Falkland Islands, the scientific staff and crew members will continue their journey to Antarctica on board the research vessel Polarstern.

Text: Lufthansa AG

Photos courtesy of: Lufthansa AG / Alfred Wegener Institute