Greenland opens new international airport to lure tourists as it eyes future independence

Greenland opened a new international airport in Ilulissat, part of efforts to grow its tourism industry and diversify an economy that has relied on fishing. The inaugural international flight connected Copenhagen, Denmark with Ilulissat and marked a milestone described by Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen as one of the island’s biggest investments.

The Thursday flight carried 169 passengers, including Nielsen and an Associated Press journalist, and was operated by government-owned Air Greenland. The trip lasted about 4.5 hours and occurred as part of a tourism initiative organized by Visit Greenland.

Ilulissat, known as the City of Icebergs, sits on Greenland’s western coast and is one of the island’s most-visited destinations with a population around 5,000. The new airport features a 5,000-square-meter terminal and a 2,200-meter runway capable of handling larger passenger aircraft.

Air Greenland plans up to six weekly Copenhagen-Ilulissat services during the peak summer months, with Icelandair also expected to fly large jets from Keflavik. Greenland Airports’ CEO, Jens R. Lauridsen, indicated interest in attracting additional U.S. and European carriers to serve Ilulissat.

Despite the new airport, Greenland’s tourism growth has not yet delivered a broad travel boom, with tourism accounting for less than 5% of GDP in 2024 and ongoing concerns about infrastructure and environmental impacts. Some observers note that improved access may help, while others caution about capacity and sustainability.