Air Greenland is well underway with preparations to receive the company’s new Airbus A320neo, which will be called Unaaq.
The aircraft will complement Air Greenland’s well-known Airbus A330-800neo Tuukkaq on the many flights in and out of Greenland and in particular serve the upcoming route between Ilulissat and Copenhagen.
Air Greenland is well underway with preparations to receive the company’s new Airbus A320neo, which will be called Unaaq.
The aircraft will complement Air Greenland’s well-known Airbus A330-800neo Tuukkaq on the many flights in and out of Greenland and in particular serve the upcoming route between Ilulissat and Copenhagen.
Air Greenland has entered into a leasing agreement with Carlyle Aviation Partners. Until now, the aircraft has been leased to SAS, which received it as new in December 2016.
The aircraft has so far flown under the Norwegian registration LN-RGO, but in connection with Air Greenland’s takeover will be re-registered to the Danish aircraft register with an OY registration. The new registration has not yet been published.
sneak peek
Already last year, people in Nuuk had the opportunity to have a sneak peek at the new plane. LN-RGO was in the capital once on 30 July, when the aircraft was deployed on the summer route that SAS had to Nuuk last summer.
SAS took the plane out of service on 26 August this year, after which it was flown to the Estonian capital Tallinn, where it must now be prepared before Air Greenland can put it into service.
The preparation takes place at the company Magnetic Group, which is today owned by the Chinese company Guangzhou Hangxin Aviation Technology. Magnetic Group originally emerged from Estonian Air’s maintenance department and was at one time owned by first Maersk Air and later SAS. The company is a specialist in medium-sized commercial aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320 family.
At the moment, two technicians from Air Greenland, together with a consulting company, are going through the ten-year-old plane. Afterwards it is separated – almost into atoms.
New interior
When it is reassembled, it must of course be painted in Air Greenland’s well-known colours, and then a completely new cabin interior must be installed.
The Airbus A320neo will be equipped with a total of 168 seats – 18 in Premium and 150 in economy class.
There are no screens on the seats, as we know it from Tuukkaq. In return, it will be possible to connect a mobile, tablet or laptop to Air Greenland’s entertainment system with films and Greenlandic music.
Air Greenland has previously announced that the new aircraft will be called Unaaq.
The name was chosen after a naming competition, where everyone could contribute their suggestions and tell the story behind it.
Unaaq is the shaft of a harpoon – the element that carries the power forward and connects the casting board to the tip.
The inspiration for the decoration in the cabin is taken from the story of the northern lights and Qullermiut, the sky spirits who played ball with a walrus skull between the stars. The Greenlandic word for northern lights is arsarnerit – “those who play ball”.
The decoration, which can be seen on the end walls of the cabin, was designed by Christian Fleischer Rex, who is also the man behind the decoration in the cabin aboard Tuukkaq and the now dismantled Norsaq.
