Greenland has opened a new international airport, seeking to lure visitors from around the world as the Arctic island looks toward eventual independence from Denmark.
The inaugural international flight on Oct 29 between Copenhagen in Denmark, and Ilulissat in Greenland, was part of the island government’s efforts to grow its tourism industry to boost and diversify an economy still reliant on fishing.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen described the new airport as “one of the biggest investments” in the island’s history. Nielsen was one of 169 passengers on the 4.5-hour flight on an Airbus A330neo.
An Associated Press journalist also took the flight, operated by government-owned Air Greenland, as part of a trip organised by tourism agency Visit Greenland, for this story.
“If Greenland wants to be independent, we need to have a strong foundation, both economically and in terms of industry and business,” Nielsen said before the plane departed.
The strategic island, home to roughly 56,000 people, has been a focus of United States president Donald Trump since his first term, when he initially expressed his desire to acquire Greenland. His repeated threats to seize the territory from Denmark, a Nato ally, during his second term prompted months of tensions with other Nato allies.
In September, Trump signed an agreement with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland to strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
“There’s no doubt that it has been a shadow over the entire Kingdom of Denmark, but especially Greenland,” said Danish finance minister Peter Hummelgaard, who also took the inaugural flight. “The opening of this new international airport marks, I think, hope and optimism.”
Ilulissat, known as the “City of Icebergs”, sits along the island’s western coast and is home to some 5,000 people. Greenland’s third-largest city is also one of the island’s most-visited destinations.
More than 550km north of the capital, Nuuk, the city has tourism offerings that range from sled dog tours to icefjord cruises in picturesque Disko Bay, known for its towering icebergs.
Previously, travellers reaching Ilulissat had to arrive by cruise ship, take a small plane from Iceland or fly to one of Greenland’s international hubs and connect to smaller aircraft. There are no road connections from other big towns.
For decades, Greenland’s main international aviation gateways were former US military air bases, distant echoes of World War II, in Kangerlussuaq and Narsarsuaq. Locals and international visitors had to land there before catching smaller aircraft to the island’s major towns, including Ilulissat and Nuuk.
That changed in late 2024, when an international airport opened in Nuuk.
United Airlines last year began a new seasonal route between Nuuk and Newark, New Jersey. The inaugural flight was the first direct from the US to Greenland by a US airline.
The Ilulissat airport, meanwhile, has a 5,000sq m terminal and a new 2,200m runway, long enough to accommodate larger passenger aircraft. 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.
Jens R. Lauridsen, CEO of Greenland Airports, said the company is also hoping to lure airlines in the US and mainland Europe to serve Ilulissat.
“It’s quite wonderful that you can go directly right now,” said Kirsten Berthelsen, a 35-year-old Ilulissat resident and student. “Sometimes it’s quite difficult to travel from Nuuk and to other countries.”
While the number of international visitors to Greenland has grown by at least 65% since 2018, reaching almost 150,000 in 2024, the expected travel boom has yet to materialise. In 2024, tourism accounted for less than 5% of the territory’s GDP. Infrastructure, including hotel capacity, remains limited.
Aalborg University associate professor Carina Ren, who specialises in Arctic tourism, said some US tourists were even deterred from visiting the island because of the recent Trump standoff, with a few cancelling their flights.
“I’ve heard of people cancelling their bookings, but also others cancelling because they were afraid that perhaps they would not be welcomed,” she said, adding that many Americans still visit, particularly on cruise ships.
Even so, there are some local concerns about mass tourism and potential damage to Greenland’s fragile nature.
Palle Jerimiassen, a former regional mayor, said he fears the city’s environment, population and infrastructure may be overwhelmed by too many visitors.
“How many can we invite?” he said. “We are welcoming all the tourists, it’s a possibility to earn some new money.”
He added: “But we have to be careful.” – AP
