Greenland Opens Ilulissat Airport With 2,200-Metre Runway, Completing Three-Airport Expansion

Greenland’s new international airport in Ilulissat opened on October 29, 2026, completing a three-airport expansion that began with Nuuk in November 2024 and continued with Qaqortoq in April 2026. The Ilulissat facility has a 2,200-metre runway, long enough for jet aircraft, and a terminal of roughly 5,000 square metres.

Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen spoke in the arrivals hall after the first large aircraft landed. Air Greenland operated the inaugural direct flight from Copenhagen using its Airbus A330-800neo. From November 2, Jettime is scheduled to fly the route through the winter with a Boeing 737-800, mostly once a week. Icelandair will add summer service from Keflavík. Air Greenland also maintains domestic connections from Ilulissat to Nuuk, Aasiaat, Qaarsut and Upernavik.

Ilulissat sits beside the UNESCO-listed Ilulissat Icefjord and serves as the main gateway to Disko Bay. The previous runway measured 845 metres and could not handle large jets. The new infrastructure shifts international traffic away from Kangerlussuaq, the former US air base that had served as Greenland’s primary international gateway for decades.

The three new airports form what the operator describes as a new backbone for the territory’s air network. Direct international access to Ilulissat is expected to increase visitor numbers to the icefjord and Disko Bay, areas already known for large icebergs and whale watching. Winter schedules begin with limited weekly frequencies; summer plans call for up to six weekly direct flights between Copenhagen and Ilulissat once Air Greenland introduces its A320neo on the route in 2027.

Approval came from the Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority. The expansion has been financed and managed under Greenland’s autonomy arrangements with Denmark. Local officials present the airports as a step toward greater connectivity for tourism and for residents who previously relied on the longer hub routing through Kangerlussuaq.

Operational questions remain around winter weather reliability, ground handling capacity for larger aircraft, and the economic return on the capital investment. The 2,200-metre runway and the first A330 arrival establish the technical capability. Whether passenger volumes and tourism revenue follow at the projected pace will be measured over the coming seasons.

The opening of the third airport closes the construction phase of the current expansion. Future growth will depend on airline scheduling decisions and on the ability of Ilulissat’s tourism infrastructure to absorb additional direct international arrivals.