Maltese pilot Denise Grech is being praised for landing an airliner in Antarctica, a feat few other pilots ever get to experience.. Her plane, a Boeing B757, had to be handled carefully as she landed on a blue ice runway near the Russian research station of Novolazarevskaya.

Landing on a blue ice runway is not an easy task, but Denise was able to pull it off without a problem and safely land her airliner.

The station, which is in the Dronning Maud Land region, has been in use since the Soviet era, and is used to transport scientists and researchers from 11 different countries around the region as they pursue their research. 

The airplane she was using is operated by a Maltese company called JetMagic Ltd, which is known to use its fleet to carry VIPs around the world. The plane is also registered in Malta.

Novolazarevskaya Station is 75km from the Antarctic Coast, from which it is seperated by the Lazarev Ice Shelf. It was founded in 1961 by the 6th Soviet Antarctic Expedition.

It’s maximum population is 70 people.

Let us know how proud you are of Denise in the comments below!

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Johnathan Cilia

Johnathan is an award-winning Maltese journalist interested in social justice, politics, minority issues, music and food. Follow him at @supreofficialmt on Instagram, and send him news, food and music stories at [email protected]