IWILKINS RUNWAY, eAntarctica (AFP) - Inqwelomoya yenqwelomoya ehamba ngenqwelomoya esuka eAustralia isiya eAntarctica yathontelana ngaphandle komgaqo oluhlaza okomkhenkce ngolwesiHlanu, isungula inqwelo moya yodwa rhoqo phakathi kwamazwekazi.
Malunga nesiqingatha senkulungwane ukusukela oko kwaqala ukuphakanyiswa umbono womgaqo weenqwelo-moya e-Antarctica, i-Airbus A319 esuka eHobart yafika e-Wilkins kufutshane neSitishi seCasey seCasey yase-Antarctic yase-Australia, umfoti we-AFP owayekhwele wathi.
Umphathiswa wezokusiNgqongileyo uPeter Garrett, owayephakathi kwamagosa angama-20, izazinzulu kunye namajelo eendaba kwinqwelomoya yokuqala, uthe umbono okwindawo yabahambi wawumangalisa njengoko inqwelomoya yayisondela e-Antarctica.
“Ukubona ii-icebergs, indawo encinci yokuhlala apha kwaye akukho nto uyibonayo macala onke kwaye ke lo mgaqo weenqwelo-moya ubonakala ngathi uvela ndawo,” watsho owayesakuba ngumphathi weOli yaseMidnight.
“Kuyamangalisa umsebenzi wobunjineli owenziwe ngaba bantu. Luloyiso lwamalungiselelo kwaye ludibanisa amazwekazi amabini okugqibela adityaniswe ngomoya,” utshilo.
“Lo ngumsitho omkhulu kakhulu, ngokuqinisekileyo yimbali. Ixesha elitsha liya kusityhilela ngokuphathelele ukunyamekela isijikelezi-langa sethu.”
Umgaqo weenqwelo-moya, oziikhilomitha ezine (iikhilomitha ezi-2.5) ubude, iimitha ezingama-700 ububanzi kwaye uhamba malunga neemitha ezili-12 ukuya kumzantsi-ntshona ngonyaka ngenxa yokukhukuliseka komkhenkce, wakrolwa ngaphandle komkhenkce waza walungiswa kusetyenziswa ubuchwepheshe belaser.
Umqhubi wenqwelomoya uGarry Studd wathi: “Umgaqo weenqwelo-moya apha ugude kakhulu kuneendlela ezininzi zeenqwelo-moya kwizikhululo zeenqwelomoya zamazwe ngamazwe kwihlabathi liphela.
Umgaqo weenqwelo-moya ozizigidi ezingama-46 zeedola (iidola ezingama-41 ezigidi) uthathe ngaphezulu kweminyaka emibini ukwakhiwa kwaye uyilelwe ukuzisa oosonzululwazi nabanye abasebenzi beCandelo le-Antarctic yase-Australia kwilizwekazi elinomkhenkce ukuze bafunde imiba efana nokutshintsha kwemozulu.
Iinqwelomoya ziya kufika ngeveki ngezona nyanga zishushu zika-Okthobha ukuya kuMatshi kodwa aziyi kuvulelwa uhambo lwabakhenkethi.
Ngaphambili, izazinzulu bezinyanzelwa ukuba zichithe ukuya kuthi ga kwiiveki ezimbini kwinqanawa ukuya kwisikhululo saseCasey.
"Iya kuyitshintsha indlela esinokwenza ngayo uphando lwethu," isazinzulu esiyintloko secandelo uMichael Stoddart uxelele i-AAP yeendaba yase-Australia.
Inqwelomoya yasuka kwisixeko esikumazantsi eOstreliya iHobart yaza yathabatha iiyure ezine ezinesiqingatha ukufika eWilkins. Yahlala emhlabeni iiyure ezintathu ngaphambi kokuba iphindele kuhambo lokubuyela ngaphandle kwemfuneko yokugalela amafutha.
Umgaqo weenqwelo-moya wathiywa ngegama lomhambi kunye nomqhubi wenqwelomoya uMhlekazi u-Hubert Wilkins, owenza inqwelomoya yokuqala e-Antarctica kwiminyaka engama-79 eyadlulayo.
Amanye amazwe anezikhululo zophando eAntarctic kudala ebhabhela kwilizwekazi elinomkhenkce kangangeminyaka esuka kumazwe anjengeNew Zealand noMzantsi Afrika, kodwa asebenzisa iinqwelo-moya zomkhosi.
I-Australian Antarctic Division ithi ukuqaliswa kwayo kwenqwelomoya yejethi yanamhlanje, enokugqiba uhambo olubuyayo ngaphandle kokugalela amafutha, kuphawula ukuqala kwexesha elitsha.
