The first of a series of regular passenger flight to Antarctica took place on Friday, establishing the first regular service between Australia and the white continent.

A blue ice runway was built at a cost of $41 million, according to AFP, although there is no indication of how long it will last or how it was decided this would be cost effective. I’ll try to find out. The wire service says this feat of engineering will bring scientists and other Australian Antarctic Division staff – but not tourists – to Antarctica on a weekly basis in the warmer months between October and March.

Before the flight, environment minister and former Midnight Oil lead singer Peter Garrett said, “This is a tremendously exciting time in Australian Antarctic history. A permanent direct air link with Antarctica has been a long-held dream. To be able to fly scientists and other Antarctic personnel to Antarctica in a matter of hours, rather than 10 or more days by ship, opens up a whole new chapter in our scientific effort on the frozen continent.” (Press release.)

The BBC has an AFP derived photo gallery of the flight.

Image: Antarctic Peninsula Ice Shelf / NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio via Visible Earth