First test landing on the new Antarctic airstrip designed and built by ENEA and the Italian Air Force, in collaboration with the Fire Brigade, thanks to dedicated funding from the Ministry of University and Research. A C-130J of the 46th Air Brigade of the Italian Air Force successfully landed on the semi prepared runway bound to become an international science hub in Antarctica. The flight carried materials and food to deal with the emergency caused by thinning sea ice, which this year prevented large aircrafts to landing on the pack in front of the Italian Mario Zucchelli in Terranova Bay. 60 meters wide and completed for the first 1,700 meters out of the 2,200 envisaged by the project, it’s the first runway to be built on a moraine, using the debris deposits that dominate Boulder Clay, a glacier over 100 meters thick, located 4 km from the Zucchelli station. The airstrip will be fully operational by the next Antarctic expedition. "This runway will increase reliability, flexibility and safety of logistic operations of the PNRA - National Antarctic Research Programme", explained Elena Campana, Head of the ENEA Antarctic Technical Unit, which coordinates logistics planning of the Italian shipments. “It is an important resource – she said – also for the other Antarctic programs operating in the Ross Sea. Both the Antarctic Programs of New Zealand and South Korea have already expressed their strong interest in collaborating on this infrastructure, which will also support the activities of the US Antarctic Program".
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