Greenland: Siltanews – News Desk
Greenland Airports has officially inaugurated its new airport in Nuuk with Air Greenland operating the first direct international flight to or from the country’s capital and establishing the airport as a key hub for air transport.
The Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority approved the opening of Nuuk International Airport earlier today. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Jens Lauridsen, Greenland Airports’ CEO said: “This is truly a historic milestone that will create a world of new opportunities for the entire country, as it will for the first time enable direct flights across the Atlantic to the nation’s capital.”
Air Greenland marked the official opening with the airport’s first international flight. Its A330-800neo, named Tuukkaq, flew from Copenhagen this morning, arriving at Nuuk 12.35 local time.
Commenting on LinkedIn, Jacob Nitter Sorensen, CEO of Air Greenland, extended “big congratulations” to Greenland Airports CEO, Jens Lauridsen and his team for building an airport “on top of an existing airport,” which he said is “no small feat.
While the new airport had a soft opening with the inauguration of its new buildings in May this year, the grand opening ceremony on Thursday emphasizes the transformative impact of the international airport on Greenland’s development. “We are confident that the airport will be a game-changer, not only for Nuuk but for the entire country,” said Lauridsen said previously. “The grand opening and celebration of the new international airport will reflect the significance of this historical event.”
Air Greenland’s arrival at the new air transport hub is a “milestone that is the culmination of years of hard work”, according to Sorensen. Back in 2017, when the airline began discussing the replacement of its A330-200, Norsaq (built in 1997) the focus was on “sustainability, economics and runway performance – to master Nuuk’s 2,200m arctic runway.”
Adding that after “rigorous analysis” the A330-800neo emerged as the perfect choice joining the airline’s fleet in 2022, Sorensen continued “today is the ultimate test” for the aircraft type.
Before the new airport’s opening passengers travelling by air to Greenland’s capital had to fly into smaller cities such as Kangerlussuaq to the north or Narsarsuq further south, both of which were built as military bases during World War II and are capable of handling larger aircraft.
In addition to domestic services and flights to Copenhagen, Air Greenland will also serve Reykjavik in Iceland. Meanwhile, in June United Airlines will begin a summer service between Newark Liberty International Airport and Nuuk offering unprecedented access to Greenland’s capital from North America in just over four hours.
The airport is expected to have a big impact on tourism and the local economy with Lauridsen estimating each flight will add US$200,000 to Greenland’s economy.