For the first time ever, National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions completed its debut round-trip flights between Puerto Natales, Chile, and King George Island in Antarctica.
Lindblad Expeditions is also the first and only expedition cruise operator to offer flights in and out of Puerto Natales, the gateway to Patagonia’s iconic Torres del Paine National Park.
The inaugural flights marked the beginning of the first-ever Antarctica Direct: Fly The Drake Passage expedition.
It also marks the completion of the first-ever Antarctica Direct: Sail & Fly The Drake Passage voyage, both on board National Geographic Explorer.
The two new itineraries are part of National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions’ brand-new series of shorter ‘Antarctica Direct’ expeditions, which afford time-crunched travellers more accessible opportunities to visit Antarctica.
Addressing a full flight of guests during the inaugural return flight to Puerto Natales, Lindblad Expeditions Founder and CEO Sven-Olof Lindblad said: “We have considered incorporating the flight option for years, but we were concerned about the frequency of flight cancellations.“
“In recent years, our partners have gained more experience and reliability has significantly improved, so we are beyond excited to now offer more unique ways to explore Antarctica.”
