Cruise & Cruise Line

National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions Successfully Completes Round Trip Antarctica Flights

Image: Guests on National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions’ new 10-day "Antarctica Direct: Sail and Fly the Drake Passage" itinerary (Photo Credit: Joshua Vela, Lindblad Expeditions)
Image: Guests on National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions’ new 10-day "Antarctica Direct: Sail and Fly the Drake Passage" itinerary (Photo Credit: Joshua Vela, Lindblad Expeditions)
Sarah Kuta
by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 5:30 PM ET, Tue December 3, 2024

National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions has successfully completed its first-ever round trip flights between Puerto Natales, Chile, and King George Island in Antarctica. 

Guests on the inaugural “Antarctica Direct: Fly the Drake Passage” trip got to skip the Drake Passage entirely and fly to and from the White Continent instead. They sailed to various destinations on the Antarctic Peninsula aboard the ship National Geographic Explorer.

In addition, the company also launched its first-ever “Antarctica Direct: Sail and Fly the Drake Passage” voyage, which included one-way flights.

Though most Antarctica cruises with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions were around 12 days long, the new “Antarctica Direct” itineraries are eight, nine and 10 days long. That creates new opportunities for time-strapped travelers to visit the White Continent.

“We have considered incorporating the flight option for years, but we were concerned about the frequency of flight cancellations,” says Sven-Olof Lindblad, founder and CEO of Lindblad Expeditions. “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 with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions than ever before.”


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