China to fly fixed-wing aircraft for Antarctic research

China will deploy its first fixed-wing aircraft for Antarctic research in 2015 and is planning an Antarctic airfield, an official said Tuesday.

China purchased a Basler BT-67 from the United States, an aircraft used by other countries on the continent. It is capable of flying in temperatures of minus 50 degrees Celsius on transportation, rescue and research missions, said Qu Tanzhou, head of the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration.

The country's 31th scientific expedition to Antarctica, scheduled to set off on Thursday, will choose a site for an airfield about 40 or 50 kilometers from China's Zhongshan Station in eastern Antarctica, Qu said.

Qu said it was also possible that China could share a Russian airfield near the station.

China has plans to build an aviation network in eastern Antarctica to support field research, transportation and emergency response.