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National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions Completes Inaugural Round-Trip Flights to Antarctica

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Published
12/11/2024 by

For the first time in its history, National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions completed its debut round-trip flights between Puerto Natales, Chile, and King George Island in Antarctica. The recognized global leader and pioneer of modern expedition cruising Lindblad Expeditions is also the first and only expedition cruise operator to offer flights in and out of Puerto Natales, the gateway to Patagonia's iconic Torres del Paine National Park.

The inaugural flights marked the beginning of the first-ever Antarctica Direct: Fly the Drake Passage expedition and the completion of the first-ever Antarctica Direct: Sail and Fly the Drake Passage voyage, both on board National Geographic Explorer. The two new itineraries are part of National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions' brand-new series of shorter "Antarctica Direct" expeditions, which afford time-crunched travelers more accessible opportunities to visit Antarctica by cutting down travel-time avoiding one or both sea passages from South America while maintaining—or even increasing—valuable time spent on the White Continent.

The completion of these round-trip flights also marked a historic milestone for Lindblad Expeditions—the operator of National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions—which has been expertly leading voyages of discovery to the continent since being founded by the family of the pioneer of Antarctic tourism, Lars-Eric Lindblad, who led the first-ever non-scientific civilian expedition to the continent in 1966.

Addressing a full flight of guests during the inaugural return flight to Puerto Natales, Lindblad Expeditions Founder and CEO, Sven-Olof Lindblad, said, "We have considered incorporating the flight option for years, but we were concerned about the frequency of flight cancellations. 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."

Since 1966, the Lindblad family has brought civilian explorers to the White Continent to experience the wonder, beauty and incredible wildlife of this extraordinary location. Prior to the reveal of the new series of "Antarctica Direct" itineraries earlier this year, the traditional Antarctic voyage with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions averaged 12 days in length. However, travelers now have more opportunities to explore Antarctica than ever before; today, Lindblad Expeditions operates 11 unique itineraries offered onboard four mission-built ships that traverse the region annually, including National Geographic Explorer and National Geographic Orion, which exclusively sail eight-, nine-, and 10-day expeditions that fly round-trip across the Drake Passage and a 10-day itinerary that crosses from South America by ship with an air return from King George Island.

Lindblad Expeditions is a founding member of the governing body promoting the safe and responsible exploration of Antarctica—the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO)—and continues to play a vital role in developing and defining polar operation procedures for vessel personnel and guidelines for visitors. The Company also employs the most experienced expedition and ice masters in the world to captain its diverse fleet of intimately scaled ships in the region, having led more than 600 combined voyages to the continent to date.

To learn more about National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions' Antarctica experience, unique itineraries, and Lindblad Expeditions' pioneering heritage in the region, visit www.expeditions.com/destinations/antarctica, call (855) 734-3271 to speak to an Expedition Specialist, or contact a travel advisor.

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