Starting in January 2018, Argentinian government plans to offer flights to Marambio Base, the permanent Argentine Antarctic base. The aim of the initiative is to boost the Antarctic tourism. The flights will be organized by the State Airlines Company (Líneas Aéreas del Estado) owned by the Argentina Air Force.
The project first needs to get international approval for the aerodrome of that facility to be considered suitable for civil aviation. Because of that the trans-Andean Ministry of Defense reported that a medium-range radar will be installed next year at Marambio Base, along with other electronic systems to ensure airworthiness.
Travelers who join the flight will spend a week on the icy continent sharing the base with 40 servicemen and 100 scientists working there in the summer months.
"It will be only small groups of visitors, not exceeding 10% of the population of the base, which is about 14 people,” said by Walter Ceballos, Secretary of Logistics, Cooperation in Emergencies and Cultural Management at the Defense Ministry.
"The project is to boost Antarctic tourism from the environmental viewpoint; it is an adventure travel initiative. Visitors will have to comply with the security and the living conditions at the Antarctic base," Ceballos explained.
Other countries, such as Chile, have already established a stake in Antarctic tourism.
Marambio Base is the main scientific and military station attached to the Argentina Air Force on the Antarctic continent and it remains active throughout the year. The Argentinian authorities also consider extending the offer of traveling to the Antarctica to other bases such as Esperanza (where 40 people live), Carlini (60) and Petrel (14).