This is a list of airports in Greenland, grouped by type and sorted by location. Air travel is extremely important in Greenland, since there are generally no roads between settlements. Arctic Umiaq Line provides passenger and freight services by sea but is limited to the southwest coast and travel time is long and departures sparse.
The first airports in Greenland were built by and for the United States defense. The first and largest was Kangerlussuaq Airport in 1941, followed by Narsarsuaq Airport in 1942 (and now-abandoned USAAF airfields Bluie East Two and Marrak Point, both in 1942) and Pituffik Space Base in 1953 (although Pituffik is not operated as a civilian airport) and Kulusuk Airport in 1956. Due to their distance from major settlements, these were not initially used for civilian travel. In the early 1960s, Greenlandair was founded, commencing civilian flights between the air bases, and helicopter and sea plane flights to large settlements. SAS operated the connection from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq, beginning in 1954 as a fuel stop en route to United States, which was later taken over in 2000 by Air Greenland.
Beginning with Nuuk Airport in 1979 and Ilulissat Airport in 1983, several airports with short runways were built.
Many locations in Greenland have Danish names in addition to their Greenlandic names. The Danish name, where applicable, is shown in italics. Airport or heliport names shown in bold indicate the facility has scheduled passenger service on a commercial airline.
Several of the airports do not have road connection with the local major settlement, so a helicopter transfer is often needed by most passengers to some airports. Airports with a very small population reachable by road include Kangerlussuaq Airport, Kulusuk Airport, Narsarsuaq Airport, Nerlerit Inaat Airport and Qaarsut Airport. 13 civil airports (not Pituffik Space Base) and 47 helipads in Greenland are operated by the state-owned enterprise Greenland Airport Authority (Mittarfeqarfiit).
The following 14 airports are listed under AD 2 AERODROMES at Naviair. [1]
| Location served | Municipality | ICAO | IATA | Airport name | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aasiaat (Egedesminde) | Qeqertalik | BGAA | JEG | Aasiaat Airport | [2] |
| Ilulissat (Jakobshavn) | Avannaata | BGJN | JAV | Ilulissat Airport | [3] |
| Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresbysund) | Sermersooq | BGCO | CNP | Nerlerit Inaat Airport (Constable Pynt Airport) | [4] |
| Kangerlussuaq (Søndre Strømfjord) | Qeqqata | BGSF | SFJ | Kangerlussuaq Airport (Sondrestrom Air Base) | [5] |
| Kulusuk | Sermersooq | BGKK | KUS | Kulusuk Airport | [6] |
| Maniitsoq (Sukkertoppen) | Qeqqata | BGMQ | JSU | Maniitsoq Airport | [7] |
| Narsarsuaq | Kujalleq | BGBW | UAK | Narsarsuaq Airport (Narsarsuaq Air Base) | [8] |
| Nuuk (Godthåb) | Sermersooq | BGGH | GOH | Nuuk Airport | [9] |
| Paamiut (Frederikshåb) | Sermersooq | BGPT | JFR | Paamiut Airport | [10] |
| Pituffik | Thule | BGTL | THU | Pituffik Space Base | [11] |
| Qaanaaq | Avannaata | BGQQ | NAQ | Qaanaaq Airport | [12] |
| Qaarsut / Uummannaq | Avannaata | BGUQ | JQA | Qaarsut Airport (Uummannaq Airport) | [13] |
| Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg) | Qeqqata | BGSS | JHS | Sisimiut Airport | [14] |
| Upernavik | Avannaata | BGUK | JUV | Upernavik Airport | [15] |
The following aerodromes also exist. They have no scheduled flights.
| Location served | Municipality | ICAO | IATA | Airport name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daneborg | Northeast Greenland National Park | BGDB | Daneborg Airport | |
| Danmarkshavn | Northeast Greenland National Park | BGDH | Danmarkshavn Airport | |
| Station Nord | Northeast Greenland National Park | BGNO | Nord Station | |
| EastGRIP | Northeast Greenland National Park | EastGRIP | ||
| Summit Camp | Northeast Greenland National Park | Summit Station | ||
| Mestersvig | Northeast Greenland National Park | BGMV | Mestersvig Airport |
Not included and not open for flights anymore are the former United States Army Air Forces bases of Bluie East Two and Marrak Point.
The following 47 heliports are listed under AD 4 HELIPORTS at Naviair. [16]
The following four heliports are not listed by Naviair.
| Location served | Municipality | ICAO | IATA | Airport name | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Igaliku | Kujalleq | BGIO | QFX | Igaliku Heliport | [64] |
| Kangilinnguit (Grønnedal) | Sermersooq | BGGD | JGR | Kangilinnguit Heliport | |
| Moriusaq | Avannaata | BGMO | Moriusaq Heliport | ||
| Saarloq | Kujalleq | BGSO | Saarloq Heliport (non-IATA identifier: QOQ) | [65] |
Mittarfeqarfiit only publishes statistics summarized for Atlantic airports (Kangerlussuaq and Narsarsuaq) and for other airports (11 airports). 13 airports are included, not Pituffik Space Base. [66]
| 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic airports, passengers | 159,432 | 166,688 | 173,523 | 197,038 |
| Other airports, passengers | 193,812 | 198,921 | 200,075 | 217,173 |
| Heliports, passengers | 44,612 | 41,675 | 39,789 | 28,790 |
| Atlantic airports, takeoffs | 7,988 | 8,286 | 7,653 | 8,209 |
| Other airports, takeoffs | 15,069 | 16,007 | 16,958 | 15,691 |
| Heliports, takeoffs | 10,646 | 11,289 | 9,533 | 7,623 |
At a late 2011 Air Greenland meeting, plans to move the main Greenland intercontinental air hub away from Kangerlussuaq were agreed upon. From 2011 it has not been possible to buy new aircraft, except for very small ones, which can use the 800–900 m (2,600–3,000 ft) airstrips which are common in Greenland including Nuuk Airport. So something needs to be done before the fleet of Bombardier Dash 8 Q200 is retired in future (before 2030).
A decision was made in 2016 to extend the runways of both Nuuk airport and Ilulissat airport to 2,200 m (7,200 ft), allowing them to receive medium size jetliners from Denmark. [67] [68] Also to replace Narsarsuaq with a new airport at Qaqortoq. [69] Construction start of Nuuk was late 2019. [70]
Alongside Kangerlussuaq, if airports at Qaqortoq, Tasiilaq and Ittoqqortoormiit are built, the airports at Narsarsuaq, Kulusuk and Nerlerit Inaat will also be closed. [71] The remaining airports in Greenland will keep their short size and smaller aircraft be used for them.
The transportation system in Greenland is very unusual in that Greenland has no railways, no inland waterways, and virtually no roads between towns. Historically the major means of transportation has been by boat around the coast in summer and by dog sled in winter, particularly in the north and east. Nowadays air travel, by helicopter or other aircraft, is the main way of travel.
Air Greenland A/S, also known as Greenlandair, is the flag carrier airline of Greenland, owned by the Greenlandic Government. It operates a fleet of 28 aircraft, including 2 airliners used for transatlantic and charter flights, 8 fixed-wing aircraft primarily serving the domestic network, and 18 helicopters feeding passengers from the smaller communities into the domestic airport network. Flights to heliports in the remote settlements are operated on contract with the government of Greenland.
Nuuk Airport (Greenlandic: Mittarfik Nuuk; Danish: Godthåb Lufthavn; is an airport serving Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The airport is a technical base and focus city for Air Greenland, the flag carrier airline of Greenland, linking the capital with several towns in western and south-western part of the country, including the airline hub at Kangerlussuaq Airport. With connections to Iceland, Nuuk Airport is also one of six international airports in Greenland but serves only destinations within Greenland and Iceland. International connections are made with flights to either Keflavík International Airport in Iceland or Kangerlussuaq Airport.
Kangerlussuaq Airport is an airport in Kangerlussuaq, a settlement in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland. Alongside Narsarsuaq Airport, it is one of only two civilian airports in Greenland large enough to handle large airliners. It is located away from the coast and hence less prone to fog and wind in comparison with other airports in Greenland. Kangerlussuaq Airport is the international hub for Air Greenland. The Kangerlussuaq area has very few inhabitants, so few passengers have their origin or destination here; most passengers change planes.
Qassiarsuk is a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality, in southern Greenland. Its population was 39 in 2020. Qassiarsuk is part of the Kujataa World Heritage Site, due to its historical importance as the homestead of Erik the Red and its unique testimony to Greenlandic farming.
Tasiusaq is a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland, founded in 1933. It is located at the Tasermiut Fjord, east of Nanortalik. Its population was 53 in 2020. In the Greenlandic language, the name of the settlement means "like a lake", referring to the lake-looking bay it situated on. The inhabitants call it "Tasiisaq", which is the local dialect.
Narsarmijit, formerly Narsaq Kujalleq and Frederiksdal, is a settlement in southern Greenland. It is located in the Kujalleq municipality near Cape Thorvaldsen. Its population was 66 in 2020. There has been a slow but steady pattern of emigration since the late 1950s.
Kitaa, originally Vestgrønland, is a former administrative division of Greenland. It was by far the most populated of the divisions, being home to almost 90% of the total population. The divisions were de facto replaced by statistical regions after Greenland received home rule in 1979.
Kulusuk Airport is an airport in Kulusuk, a settlement on an island of the same name off the shore of the North Atlantic in the Sermersooq municipality in southeastern Greenland.
Narsarsuaq Airport is an airport located in Narsarsuaq, a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. Along with Kangerlussuaq Airport, it is one of two airports in Greenland capable of serving large airliners. It is also the only international airport in southern Greenland. The settlement it serves is small, with the airport primarily functioning as a transfer point for passengers heading for the helicopter hubs of Air Greenland in Qaqortoq and Nanortalik. The airport is to be closed in 2025 when Qaqortoq Airport is scheduled to open.
The Greenland Airports is the national airport operator of the airports in Greenland, in charge of airport upgrades and associated fees and taxes in all airports in Greenland.
Nerlerit Inaat Airport is an airport in the Sermersooq municipality in eastern Greenland. It is located on Jameson Land and serves the town of Ittoqqortoormiit, approximately 40 km (25 mi) to the south-east. The airport can serve STOL aircraft. An AS 350 helicopter of Air Greenland is permanently housed at the airport, linking it with Ittoqqortoormiit Heliport. The helicopter also provides search and rescue capabilities within the surrounding area, and can be chartered for transport. On July 28, 2021, in Nerlerit Inaat Airport, a temperature of 23.2 °C (73.8 °F) was recorded.
Qaanaaq Airport is an airport located 1.9 NM northwest of Qaanaaq, a settlement in the Avannaata municipality in northern Greenland. It was established in 1991 to serve Qaanaaq and neighboring communities because Thule Air Base in Pituffik is not open for regular passenger traffic. It is the only civilian airport north of Upernavik and is a lifeline for northern Greenland. Fresh food and other consumer products are transported by air.
Sisimiut Airport is an airport located 2.2 NM northwest of Sisimiut, a town in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland. The airport has a single runway designated 13/31 which measures 799 by 30 m, built on the northern shore of Kangerluarsunnguaq Bay.
Kujalleq is a municipality on the southern tip of Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009. The administrative center of the municipality is in Qaqortoq.
Qaarsut Airport is an airport in Qaarsut, a settlement on the Nuussuaq Peninsula in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is a primary airport with a gravel runway, capable of serving STOL aircraft of Air Greenland in all seasons. There is a small cafeteria in the tiny arrivals/departures hall. It is connected by a 4 km (2.5 mi) gravel road to Qaarsut and is 13.5 nautical miles northwest of Uummannaq.
The 1959–60 Greenlandic Football Championship was the 3rd edition of the Greenlandic Men's Football Championship. Played on a knock-out basis, the final round was held at Gamle Sandbane in Nuuk. It was won by Nanok who defeated Kissaviarsuk-33 in the final.