Summary
Nuuk Airport in Greenland is the new gateway to the country, and has welcomed its first non-stop international flight from Denmark.
Previously, direct flights with widebody aircraft used Kangerlussuaq or Narsarsuaq airports. Passengers were then required to take a domestic flight to reach the capital at Nuuk, which is the main centre of population, business and tourism in the country.
Air Iceland Dash 8 at Nuuk. Quintin Soloviev, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Now, a brand new airport terminal and extended 2,200 metre (7,217ft) runway has opened allowing the largest aircraft in the Air Greenland fleet to operate non-stop to Denmark.
The airport is also to welcome a new service with United Airlines next summer when a non-stop service to Newark Airport in New York will launch.
Combined with the large trade in cruise passengers, the new airport is set to unlock the great potential of tourism to Greenland.
About the New Nuuk Airport
Laketown, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Plan of the new Nuuk Airport layout.
The brand new terminal at Nuuk features modern design, airy spaces, and a capacity for up to 800 passengers per hour.
It provides an inviting place for new arrivals to the country to receive their first impression of Greenland, and will be a comfortable place for passengers to await their flights home.
The runway, which can now handle any size of aircraft, replaces the old 950m strip which was only suitable for Air Greenland’s domestic DHC-7 aircraft which connected passengers to other airports around the country.
Now, in addition to Air Greenland’s link to Copenhagen in Denmark and the new United Airlines service, Nuuk will handle Air Iceland flights to Keflavik, and seasonal services with Scandinavian Airlines.
Air Greeland will also centre its hub of domestic operations on Nuuk, transferring from Kangerlussuaq, in order to better connect international arrives with destinations around the country.
First A330neo Arrival
With Nuuk’s new runway officially opened on 28 November, the first long-haul arrival was Air Greenland’s Airbus A330-800neo OY-GKN.
The aircraft had arrived in Copenhagen on 26 November from Kangerlussuaq, marking the end of the old service. A ceremony was held at the old airport, with the chairman of Air Greenland’s Board of Directors addressing the assembly. It then departed at 11:15am and arrived on the new runway to much fanfare shortly before 1pm.
Nuuk Airport Spotting Options
The iconic sign from Kangerlussuaq is resurrected at Nuuk airport.
Nuuk Airport is the new gateway to Greenland, but it is by no means a large or busy airport.
The single runway stretches in a 04/22 direction, and is situated to the north-east of the city itself.
The terminal and access roads are on the eastern side of the runway, and generally you can see what is parked on the ground as you approach the terminal. You can also get good views of arrivals on the road heading from the city to the airport, if flights are using runway 04.
From inside the terminal there are views of the apron once you are through security.
Watch the Nuuk Airport Webcam
If you want to keep an eye on airport operations in Nuuk and maybe catch the A330neo landing or departing, you can follow the airport’s live webcam here: Weblink
Title image: Pete Macklin
