New Zealand’s air force has evacuated three people from a United States research base in Antarctica, in what it said was a high-risk operation in freezing temperatures and perpetual darkness.

One person requiring urgent medical care and two others needing medical attention were taken on the rescue flight from the McMurdo Station on Tuesday, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) said in a statement.

The aircraft landed in Christchurch on Wednesday morning. The statement gave no details of the medical emergency or nationalities.

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Andy Scott, a New Zealand Air Commodore, said the extreme cold and landing on a runway of ice in the dark make mid-winter flights to Antarctica one of the most challenging air crews can perform.

“(It is) an extremely challenging environment to fly in on night vision goggles due to the extreme weather conditions, which are highly changeable at this time of year and makes accurate forecasting a challenge,” he said.

Temperatures at the McMurdo Station fell as low as -24C on Tuesday, hampering the 20-hour mission that took place in the complete darkness of the Antarctic winter.

The US Chargé d’Affaires for New Zealand Melissa Sweeney said the evacuation had been carried out “flawlessly”.

“We are so very grateful. Our Kiwi partners didn’t hesitate to undertake this mission in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. Their skill and readiness are truly world-class,” she said.

RNZAF carried out similar rescues in 2021 and 2024.