The Drake Passage: To Fly, or Not to Fly?

After a rocky start to a trip south in March 2023, I swore I’d never fly to Antarctica again. But in November 2024, I found myself sitting on a plastic chair in the turf-lined cargo container airport on King George Island in the South Shetland Islands, waiting for a flight. Well, I never said I wouldn’t fly from Antarctica. 

I joined the inaugural voyage of an operator's new program that flies to the White Content. Our itinerary—a 10-day trip on National Geographic Explorer—was technically a sail/fly. We'd first sail the Drake Passage, departing from Ushuaia, Argentina, then fly back across from King George Island to Puerto Natales, Chile. And despite my trepidation, the flight went off without a hitch.