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Request for tender for Antarctic charter services
last update: Sep 08, 2010 09:05 AM
From a "Flightglobal" article: A request for tender for the provision of charter services between Australia and Antarctica has been released by the Australian Antarctic Division.
The air link from Hobart, Tasmania, to the Wilkins blue ice runway near Australia's Casey research centre, transporting researchers and cargo during the southern hemisphere summer has been provided by Sydney-based Skytraders, using an adapted Airbus A319LR.
The charter period is only limited to three months a year and the new contract will start in July 2012 and will run for three years. Skytraders have been providing the service since late 2007.
It will not be easy to fulfill the requirements as with the aircraft must be capable of carrying at least 12 researchers plus their baggage and a minimum of 500kg (1,100lb) of cargo. It will also be required for medical evacuation, equipped with an intensive care module and two basic stretcher modules, as well as search and rescue and training flights. On top of that, the aircraft must be able to operate long oceanic sectors, with no refuelling possible at Wilkins; over ice and snow terrain where poor surface and horizon definition may exist; into known icing conditions; and under instrument flight rules and instrument meteorological conditions. Then there are a lot of additional technical devices the plane will have to be equiped with.
Read more:
Flightflobal, 8th September 2010
