This November 28, the expansion of the Nuuk International Airport (GOH) officially opened, Greenland, enabling intercontinental flights and boosting commerce and tourism in the island’s capital. The Government of Greenland, in collaboration with the concessionaire Kalaallit Airports, invested approximately USD 300 million in this project.
At the same time, Air Greenland landed on the new runway with its Airbus A330neo, named «Tuukkaq,» marking the largest aircraft to have ever arrived in the capital, witnessed by a crowd of locals and tourists from around the world who gathered to witness this historic event.
The Nuuk airport expansion is part of an ambitious governmental plan to improve the island’s airport infrastructure, aligning with current safety standards. This project also includes the construction of new facilities and the expansion of key airfields such as Nuuk, Ilulissat, and Qaqortoq.
Kalaallit Airports International A/S and Munck Gruppen A/S have formalized the general contract for constructing new runways at Ilulissat Airport (JAV), aiming to strengthen the tourism infrastructure.
Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, goes international
The expansion was carried out without interrupting Nuuk’s operations, as it is one of the most critical access points to the capital, home to over 19,000 inhabitants. The work was done in two phases: the north-south section was upgraded to meet specifications for wide-body aircraft operations, and the north section was extended from 950 to 2,200 meters. In total, nearly 6 million cubic meters of rock were moved to support the airport’s construction.
This expansion enables Nuuk to host intercontinental flights. Previously, airlines had to land in Narsarsuaq and Kangerlussuaq, offering several daily operations from there to local destinations with Air Greenland’s De Havilland Canada DHC Q200 aircraft seating 29-37 passengers.
With Nuuk’s new airport, operations at both airfields are expected to decrease in the future, although their surrounding tourist attractions will ensure they continue to receive flights year-round. Meanwhile, Nuuk opens the door to attracting airlines and new destinations, as well as the potential modernization of Air Greenland’s regional and medium-haul aircraft.
More flights in Greenland
Before the inauguration, several airlines expressed interest in landing in the Green Land, as the Vikings called it upon discovering it.
Icelandair, which previously operated with Dash Q300 and -400 aircraft, will replace them with Boeing 737 MAX 8 starting in April 2025. During the summer season, after two decades, Scandinavian Airlines Systems (SAS) will return to Greenland from Copenhagen with Airbus A320neo aircraft between June and August. The surprise was the first connection to the United States, following the announcement by United Airlines with flights from Newark (EWR) on Boeing 737 MAX 8, which will operate from June to September.
Meanwhile, Air Greenland will transfer flights to Copenhagen from Kangerlussuaq to Nuuk with its A330neo and add a second daily frequency with a Boeing 737-800 through a wet-lease agreement with Jettime. Additionally, it will launch two new destinations: Billund and Aalborg.
