Overview
- The consolidated-gravel runway at Petrel is about 1,400 meters long and has reached roughly 40% of the Argentine Air Force’s required parameters to host C-130 Hercules and P-3B Orion aircraft.
- The Joint Antarctic Command has planned crew-training flights to Petrel using Beechcraft B-200 and Saab 340 aircraft to maintain proficiency in extreme conditions.
- HeliUshuaia completed the first reported civil flight from Ushuaia to Petrel on February 12 using a B-200 King Air, signaling limited civilian access.
- In February 2025, the Maritime Joint Command directed Naval Aviation’s first P-3B Orion mission into CCAMLR subzone 48.2, with nearly two hours over the Antarctic Peninsula and the Orcadas.
- Argentina continues to pursue Ushuaia-centered logistics projects—the Antarctic Logistics Hub and a proposed Integrated Naval Base—which remain announced without firm completion dates.