Sean Tully, a spokesman for the airport, confirmed the Italian C-130 was supporting Antarctic operations.
“The Italians have done this in the past – it’s nothing new for the programme,” Tully said.
“[The plane was] circling to manage a minor tech issue prior to landing.”
Tully confirmed the plane landed safely.
The C-130 can airdrop loads of more than 19,000kg or use its high-flotation landing gear to land and deliver cargo on rough, dirt strips.
It uses an aft-loading ramp and door to accommodate a wide variety of oversized cargo.
Jazlyn Whales is a multimedia journalist based in the Christchurch newsroom.