 Ny @-@ Ålesund was established as a mining company town by Kings Bay in 1916 . Between 1925 and 1928 , four attempts were made to reach the North Pole by air from Ny @-@ Ålesund . In May 1925 , Roald Amundsen used Ny @-@ Ålesund as a base for two flying boats , but the expedition failed to come closer than 88 degrees north . On 9 May 1926 , Floyd Bennett and Richard E. Byrd used Ny @-@ Ålesund as both the starting and landing for their expedition . Although they claimed to have reached the pole , there is strong evidence that they could not have accomplished this . On 11 May , Amundsen and Umberto Nobile 's airship Norge left Ny @-@ Ålesund and traveled via the North Pole to Alaska . This is regarded as the first successful expedition to the North Pole . After two short skirmishes , Nobile 's airship Italia left Ny @-@ Ålesund on 23 May 1928 to reach the North Pole , but crashed on the return . 
