An aviation company based in Ushuaia is expanding its operational capabilities with a clear strategic vision for the Antarctic continent.

HeliUshuaia has added a German-made medical helicopter, equipped with a stretcher and seating for four, and recently an eight-seat Beechcraft B200 Super King Air turboprop aircraft to fly from Ushuaia to the Petrel and Marambio bases. These acquisitions strengthen a fleet that already includes six helicopters, several of which have been refurbished in recent months.

The company conducted an air rescue drill at the Ushuaia Naval Base, with the participation of more than fifty members of the Gendarmerie, Fire Department, Police, National Parks, and Civil Protection . This exercise is part of a joint training plan with the Emergency Relief Commission, designed to optimize emergency response in mountainous areas.

Osvaldo Mella, the company's owner , explained that these training sessions are carried out with the company's own resources and without state support, training field personnel in location techniques, wind reading, and communication in complex environments .

Since its creation, HeliUshuaia has participated in more than eighty rescue operations , many carried out in extreme conditions . Mella emphasized that there is no official agreement with the State, with the Relief Commission being the only formal link. "They never invited us institutionally. We do it because it's necessary," the businessman stated in El Diario del Fin del Mundo .

Regarding the Antarctic project, Mella announced that the company is now ready to fly to the Marambio and Petrel bases , the latter of which is currently being reactivated. "We want Ushuaia to look south. The Antarctic connection can't always depend on Buenos Aires," he said during a radio interview.

In parallel with these operations, the company has launched a helicopter pilot training school, one of the few options outside the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area. Courses include theoretical and practical instruction, with flights from the initial stages.

They also developed a tourist experience called “pilot for a day,” which allows visitors to fly accompanied by instructors, a concept adapted from recreational diving in Puerto Madryn .

The company operates out of the former Aeronautics Directorate hangar at the old airport, with logistical support from the Argentine Navy. This space is currently being refurbished to improve services and expand operations. “Tourism has allowed us to grow, but the community needs us. Everything we do in rescue, health, and training is because there's a shortage. And someone has to do it,” concluded Osvaldo Mella .

The consolidation of HeliUshuaia , with its fleet of multipurpose aircraft and specialized pilot training, transcends commercial success to establish itself as a strategic pillar of the national presence. By guaranteeing logistical, rescue, and connectivity capabilities from Ushuaia to the south, the company provides critical infrastructure that tangibly strengthens Argentina's sovereignty in Antarctica, anchoring the development of the white continent to the southernmost tip of Patagonia.