Greenland inaugurates new international airport with flight from Copenhagen to Ilulissat

The Story

Greenland opened a new international airport in Ilulissat on Thursday, marking the start of an international service between Copenhagen, Denmark, and Ilulissat, Greenland.

The inaugural flight took off as a 4.5-hour trip on an Airbus A330neo with 169 passengers aboard, operated by government-owned Air Greenland.

Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen called the airport “one of the biggest investments” in the island’s history and said Greenland needs a “strong foundation” economically and in terms of industry and business to support independence efforts.

Danish Finance Minister Peter Hummelgaard also took the inaugural flight, describing the opening as a moment of “hope and optimism,” and said the new airport marks a shift in the “shadow” Denmark has faced regarding Greenland.

Ilulissat, known as the “City of Icebergs,” is about 5,000 people and is roughly 550 kilometres north of Nuuk.

Until now, reaching Ilulissat typically required arriving by cruise ship, flying from Iceland, or flying to one of Greenland’s international hubs and connecting to smaller aircraft, with no road connections from other major towns.

The new Ilulissat airport includes a 5,000-square-metre terminal and a new 2,200-metre runway capable of accommodating larger passenger aircraft.

The island government said Air Greenland has committed to as many as six weekly flights between Copenhagen and Ilulissat during next year’s peak summer months, and Icelandair will also fly large jets from its Keflavik hub.

Greenland’s tourism growth has not translated into a major travel boom yet; international visitors have increased by at least 65% since 2018 to almost 150,000 in 2024, but tourism accounted for less than 5% of Greenland’s gross domestic product that year.

Infrastructure limits, including hotel capacity, remain, and Carina Ren of Aalborg University said some U.S. tourists were deterred by the Trump standoff, with some canceling travel while others still visited, particularly on cruise ships.

Local concerns were also raised about the potential impact of mass tourism, including worries that Ilulissat’s environment, population, and infrastructure could be overwhelmed if too many visitors arrive.

Former regional mayor Palle Jerimiassen said, “How many can we invite?” while adding that new tourism revenue is possible but that residents “have to be careful.”