It has not been lacking challenges en route for the helicopter charter company based in Qaqortoq, which is the primary provider of helicopter tours that, among other things, provide easy access to experience South Greenland for tourists. A short time ago, Sermeq Helicopters had to apologize to their customers on Facebook:
– INFORMATION:
It has not been lacking challenges en route for the helicopter charter company based in Qaqortoq, which is the primary provider of helicopter tours that, among other things, provide easy access to experience South Greenland for tourists. A short time ago, Sermeq Helicopters had to apologize to their customers on Facebook:
– INFORMATION:
– The hangar construction at Qaqortoq Airport is unfortunately delayed, therefore we have not moved address yet.
– We still park helicopters in the old heliport, but we are not allowed to operate with passengers from there. Since we also do not have office facilities at the airport yet, we have to move to/from the airport every morning and evening.
– We expect to have a better overview during the next week, and hope for clarification as soon as possible!
– We apologize for the inconvenience this causes for our customers and hope for understanding, wrote Sermeq Helicopters on their Facebook page.
The hangar construction was delayed, passengers were not allowed to be taken from the old heliport, and the employees did not occupy either an office or a fixed framework at the new airport. This meant daily commuter traffic in the morning and evening to even get the helicopters in the air.
But if you fast forward to today, the tone is completely different with the company’s CEO.
– We have got office facilities at the airport, everything is gathered now, at the airport. Before, the office was in Qaqortoq Heliport, and mechanics in Narsarsuaq, now they are gathered here in Qaqortoq Airport, says CEO of Sermeq Helicopters Pilu Nielsen.
The move has not just brought new walls; it has brought the whole company together. Where the office used to be in Qaqortoq Heliport and the mechanics were based in Narsarsuaq, everyone now works under the same roof. Even if the trip out to the hangars takes a bit longer on a daily basis, it is nothing against the logistical advantages that the collection provides.
Fog and staffing challenges
If you want to understand why the new airport is a revolution for aviation in Qaqortoq, you only have to take a look at social media. In a photo posted by Sermeq Helicopters on their Facebook page on June 9, Qaqortoq city is seen completely covered in a dense white blanket of harbor fog. But if you look at the new airport, the sky is cloudless. And it is precisely this difference that excites the director.
– The best thing is that we get rid of the fog. As we show on our Facebook post from June 9, Qaqortoq city can be wrapped in thick fog, while the airport has completely clear visibility. It is fog free almost every morning and it is simply fantastic. This means that we can now operate from early morning to late evening, says Pilu Nielsen.
Although the airspace must now be shared with large, fixed-wing aircraft, it hasn’t created sweat on the pilots’ foreheads. The coordination with the new air traffic control tower runs exactly as in Narsarsuaq, and security procedures are reminiscent of those known from Nuuk. However, moving into a state-of-the-art airport building has not been without its challenges.
– What takes the longest is learning the procedures at the new airport.
– There have been challenges with the staffing at the airport. Due to staff shortages, it has been difficult to get requests to open outside normal opening hours approved. Unfortunately, I think it is a general problem throughout the country, and not just here, that there is a lack of labour, explains Pilu Nielsen.
The lack of manpower means that Sermeq Helicopters has at times had difficulty in getting requests to keep the airport open beyond normal opening hours approved. One challenge, however, the director emphasizes, is a general problem throughout the country and not isolated to Qaqortoq.
In addition, the company also feels the synergy with the other international traffic. Icelandair now flies to Qaqortoq several times a week, which provides a much better logistical common thread than the previous two weekly departures to Narsarsuaq.
Financially, the change has not shaken the budget, as the airport tariffs are the same across the country. And if you look at the overall account of the new everyday life, the director is not in the least bit in doubt when he takes stock of the move.
– It is definitely an upgrade, Pilu Nielsen replies when he is asked whether the airport move has given Sermeq Helicopters the logistical upgrade or downgrade.
