Air transportRunways and helicopter pads have to be kept snow-free to ensure safe take off and landing conditions. Antarctica has 20 airports, but there are no developed public-access airports or landing facilities.
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There are no commercial flights to Antarctica. Antarctica air cruise itineraries utilize one-way or round-trip flights from Punta Arenas, Chile, to the Antarctica Peninsula where guests board a ship. Flights to Antarctica utilize the airstrip at the King George Island Antarctica airport.
For anyone planning to fly to/ from Antarctica, the town of Punta Arenas in southern Chile is the main departure point for all: Charter flights to King George Island, South Shetland Islands (flying time = 2 hours). This is the only commercial airfield servicing the Antarctic Peninsula for visitors.
There aren't actually any commercial airports in Antarctica, so to reach Antartica, you'll have to take a flight to Antartica's closest commercial airport in Punta Arenas, Chile, and then take a cruise or a fly & cruise from Punta Arenas to Antartica.
As no commercial flights operate to Antarctica itself, you would have to book with a private charter operator and prices for a flight expedition can reach in excess of $30,000. Budget at least $1000 – $1500 for flights, slightly more for European travellers.
Express Overnight Antarctic Stays. If you want to visit Antarctica with limited time, LANDED can arrange an overnight stay at an Antarctic camp. Express Antarctic camping itineraries typically center on a visit to King George Island in the South Shetland Islands off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.
The short answer is, no, it's not illegal to fly over Antarctica. But there are practical considerations that make it challenging for regular airlines to navigate across the land. In many parts of Antarctica, there's limited or no infrastructure, no landing strips, and obviously no refuelling stations for planes.
Ushuaia is by far the most popular gateway city for tourism to Antarctica, accounting for 90% of all tourists to the continent. Nearly all of the passengers departing Ushuaia for Antarctica travel by cruise ship.