New Zealand Executes Complex Medevac from US’s Antarctic McMurdo Station

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has carried out a medical evacuation of three staff at the U.S. Antarctic McMurdo Station. The mission is being described as complex and high-risk owing to the fact that it was undertaken in the height of the Antarctic winter, complicated by extreme weather and nighttime.

Following a request by the National Science Foundation, the RNZAF executed the medevac operation that airlifted one staff member requiring urgent medical care and two others needing medical attention. The operation involved landing a large aircraft on ice, in darkness, and using night vision, something that required extreme precision and extraordinary skill.

Described as “nothing short of heroic” by the U.S. government, the RNZAF deployed a C-130J Hercules aircraft to the McMurdo Station. It was carefully planned and executed due to the harsh weather and the fact that the aircraft was to land on ice and under the cover of darkness.

Before departing Christchurch on Tuesday afternoon, RNZAF coordinated with the U.S. team at the McMurdo Station, who had to physically create a runway by grooming the ice to ensure the aircraft could land.

Despite the extreme challenges, the C-130J Hercules with a doctor on board made the flight to the McMurdo Station, where, upon landing on the ice, its engines were kept running to keep them warm while refueling before managing to medevac the three staff back to Christchurch. The medical evacuation took about 19.5 hours to complete.

“With the support of Antarctica New Zealand and U.S. National Science Foundation staff in Antarctica, we have been able to complete the flight and the patients are now getting the medical treatment they need in Christchurch,” said Andy Scott, RNZAF Air Commodore.

This was the third time the RNZAF has successfully carried out that kind of mission, with similar rescues having been undertaken in 2021 and 2024.

The U.S. Embassy in New Zealand praised the RNZAF for its courage in undertaking the delicate mission.

“This mission wasn’t just difficult; it was one of the most technically demanding operations an aircrew can face. In extreme conditions, with little margin for error, the RNZAF executed this mid-winter Antarctic medevac flawlessly,” said Melissa Sweeney, Chargé d’Affaires.

McMurdo Station, on the southern tip of Ross Island in Antarctica, is a central component of U.S. scientific research in Antarctica. Being the largest, it serves as the central logistical hub for the U.S. Antarctic Program, supporting research across multiple disciplines. The U.S. undertakes resupply missions in December and January each year, but for many months the station is isolated by the extreme conditions.