Qaqortoq Airport

Qaqortoq Airport Mittarfik Qaqortoq
IATA: JJU ICAO: BGQO
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Greenland Airport Authority
Serves	Qaqortoq, Greenland
Coordinates	60°45′57″N046°03′54″W / 60.76583°N 46.06500°W / 60.76583; -46.06500
Map
Qaqortoq Airport Location in Greenland
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft N/A 1,500 4,921 Asphalt

QaqortoqAirport (Greenlandic : Mittarfik Qaqortoq) ( IATA : JJU, ICAO : BGQO) is an airport which is under construction to serve fixed-wing services in southern Greenland, located by the town of Qaqortoq. The wider network of air traffic in southern Greenland has been served by the former U.S. military base, Narsarsuaq Airport, which is located approximately 60 km from the largest town in southern Greenland, Qaqortoq.

As of April 2025, the airport is under construction and is due to be completed in 2026 and will replace, in operation, Qaqortoq heliport and Narsarsuaq Airport. ^{[1] [2]}

History

Many feasibility assessments regarding building a landing strip near Qaqortoq for fixed-wing aircraft had been conducted throughout the 2000s and 2010s. The issue was previously debated in 2007, when the Democrats opposed a Siumut landing strip proposal, ^[3] citing ecological and environmental concerns. In contrast to the previous debates, presently the Democrats are lobbying for a 1,799-meter (5,902 ft) runway, making passenger flights to continental Europe possible. A shorter, 1,199-meter (3,934 ft) runway, supported by the CEO of Air Greenland, ^[4] would enable flights with small turboprops to Iceland and eastern Canada. ^[5] The cost of moving the airport from Narsarsuaq as a 1799-metre runway is estimated at DKK900 million (€120.7m), while a 1199-metre runway is estimated at DKK370 million (€50m). ^[6] Presently Narsarsuaq airport is a community of 140 people, depending solely on the airport, but the Kujalleq Municipality supports the plans for moving the airport to the centre of South Greenland, thereby creating economic growth in the region. ^{[7] [8]}

Five locations for a possible airport was assessed. Four of these – at Prinsessen, Nunarsuatsiaap Kujalequtaa, Munkebugten, and halfway towards Narsaq – are for a 1,199-meter (3,934 ft) domestic runway. Only one location, northwest of the town between Nuupiluk and Matup Tunua, would be suitable for a runway up to 2,100 meters (6,900 ft), in order to accommodate intercontinental flights. It was in 2011 expected that a new airport would be built before 2020, probably with a 1,499-metre runway behind the mountain of Saqqaarsik, being able to serve flights from Europe, Iceland and other parts of Greenland, thereby moving the air transport centre of South Greenland from Narsarsuaq to the centre of the region.

Decision and construction

The final political decision on the matter was then pending for years, but an act on the project was finalized by the parliament of Greenland in 2018, and a project is now being prepared for an airport with a 1500-metre runway, allowing smaller jets to land during the crucial summer tourist season. The 1500-metre runway will also be important for developing the nearby Tanbreez REE-mine project. ^{[9] [10]}

The decided site is at 60°45′51″N46°3′57″W / 60.76417°N 46.06583°W / 60.76417; -46.06583 , 5 km north of Qaqortoq, having a decided runway length of 1500 metres. ^[11]

The 1500 metre runway is considered the shortest possibility, in terms of future economic development, especially within the tourism sector. This length is considered the minimum requirement for supporting future economic development, especially within the tourism sector, allowing propeller aircraft of near 100 seats (such as DHC-8-Q400) to fly all seats used domestically and to Iceland. ^{[12] [13]} There is room for an extension of up to 1,800 metres (5,906 ft), ^[14] which would allow for larger jet aircraft to use the airport. The access road to the airport site was completed as a gravel road in 2017, though it will eventually be an asphalt road when the airport is finally completed. The first rock blastings at the airport site were conducted at a ceremony during early November 2016. ^[1]

As of 2025, the new airport is under construction and is due to be completed in 2026. ^{[1] [2]} A large setback occurred in April 2020 when the procurement of the airport construction was halted because all offers were well above the project budget. ^[15] A contract with a construction company from Canada was finally signed in February 2022. ^{[16] [17]}

Following the completion of this airport, Narsarsuaq Airport is planned to be closed and downgraded to a heliport. ^[18] Exact plans for the heliport, meanwhile, remain ambiguous. The airport will replace the current Qaqortoq heliport as well as fixed-wing flights from Narsarsuaq Airport. ^[19] Qaqortoq will assume the previous heilport's IATA code of JJU, but will have a new ICAO code of BGQO.

See also

• Qaqortoq heliport
• Narsarsuaq Airport
• Air Greenland

References

1. "Home". kair.gl.
2. Redaktionen (2023-10-07). "Qaqortoqs nye lufthavn yderligere forsinket: Narsarsuaq Lufthavn skal forblive i drift indtil 2026". www.sermitsiaq.ag (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-10-13.
3. "Ufred hos Demokraterne" (in Danish). Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on October 9, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
4. "Air Greenland støtter forslag om Qaqortoq lufthavn" (in Danish). Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on October 9, 2011. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
5. "Lufthavn i Qaqortoq. Ja, tak" (in Danish). Kamikposten. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
6. "Turismeerhvervet i Sydgrønland frygter nye lufthavnsplaner" (in Danish). Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on October 9, 2011. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
7. "11 siger ja til lufthavn i Qaqortoq". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
8. "Rungende nej til flytning af lufthavn" (in Danish). Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on October 9, 2011. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
9. RUNWAY CONTRACT SIGNED FOR THE UPCOMING KALAALLIT AIRPORTS DOMESTIC IN QAQORTOQ GREENLAND.
10. "The contracting for the upcoming airport in Qaqortoq is concluded". Archived from the original on 2025-01-20. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
11. Qaqortoq
12. "Korte baner begrænser fremtidsmulighederne". Sermitsiaq.AG (in Danish). 27 September 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
13. Visit Greenland. "Kapacitetsanalyse for Qaqortoq 2026-2031" (PDF).
14. Veirum, Thomas Munk (2023-09-20). "KAIR: Dette skal på plads før landingsbane i Qaqortoq kan forlænges". www.sermitsiaq.ag (in Danish). Retrieved 2025-09-16.
15. "Kalaallit Airports Domestic A/S annullerer udbud af landingsbane og lufthavnsbygninger i Qaqortoq". Archived from the original on 2025-04-06. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
16. "The contracting for the upcoming airport in Qaqortoq is concluded". Archived from the original on 2025-01-20. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
17. RUNWAY CONTRACT SIGNED FOR THE UPCOMING KALAALLIT AIRPORTS DOMESTIC IN QAQORTOQ GREENLAND.
18. Veirum, Thomas Munk (2022-03-31). "Paviasen: Borgerne har fået besked om Narsarsuaq - den lukkes for fly". www.sermitsiaq.ag (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-03-21.
19. Redaktionen (2023-10-07). "Qaqortoqs nye lufthavn yderligere forsinket: Narsarsuaq Lufthavn skal forblive i drift indtil 2026". www.sermitsiaq.ag (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-10-13.