Seven injured fisherman will arrive in Christchurch on Friday, after weather conditions delayed their flight from Antarctica.
The men suffered burns when a fire swept through their Korean fishing boat Jeong Woo 2 in the Southern Ocean early on Wednesday.
Three of the crew - two Vietnamese and one Indonesian - are seriously injured with second and third degree burns.
Three Vietnamese sailors are missing, presumed dead, following the fire.
A US Airforce Hercules carrying the injured crew members left the US Antarctic base McMurdo Station at 12.35pm on Friday, and was expected to arrive in Christchurch about 8.45pm, the Rescue Coordination Centre of New Zealand said.
The injured men will be taken to Christchurch Hospital for assessment and further treatment.
The rescue mission was delayed after poor weather meant a USAF C17 Globemaster was unable to fly out of Christchurch to pick up the crew. The Hercules was already at McMurdo Station.
A total of 37 men were rescued from the ship, and the seven injured fisherman were taken to McMurdo by an American research ship.
NZN