New Copenhagen-Kangerlussuaq flight aims to boost Greenland tourism 

Air Greenland and tourism company Albatros Arctic Circle have signed an agreement to launch twice-weekly Kangerlussuaq-Copenhagen flights with a view to boosting Greenland tourism.

“We’ll add a morning and evening departure from Nuuk to Copenhagen via Kangerlussuaq and afternoon departures from Copenhagen via Kangerlussuaq to Nuuk,” Air Greenland’s Chief Commercial Officer, Kasper Thomsen Rungfeldt, said in a statement.

“This will strengthen our range of departures and make us stronger in a competitive situation.” 

The Kangerlussuaq-Copenhagen route will open on March 17, 2025, and continue until October 16, 2025.

Aviation transformation 

Kangerlussuaq is a small settlement in western Greenland with a permanent population of approximately 500 people.

It was originally established as a U.S. military base during World War II, but has since become a hub for Arctic tourism given its proximity to the Greenland Ice Cap.

Until recently, Kangerlussuaq was the only runway in Greenland long enough to accommodate large international airplanes. It served as the main transportation hub where passengers transferred to smaller aircraft for further travel within Greenland.

However, as part of Greenland’s efforts to modernize its infrastructure and improve connectivity, a new international runway is set to open in the capital city of Nuuk on November 28, 2024.

Maintaining tourism footprint 

Despite this shift, Air Greenland said it decided to maintain a direct route from Kangerlussuaq to Copenhagen, recognizing the settlement’s continued importance for tourism.

“We believe there are good conditions for a direct route between Kangerlussuaq and Copenhagen, as we can also use the aircraft as an extension of the route,” Rungfeldt said.

Air Greenland said Kangerlussuaq already receives some 10,000 tourists annually.

Maintaining economy for locals 

Tourism company Albatros Arctic Circle has been involved in Kangerlussuaq tourism since the early 2000s.

Jørgen Larsen, the director of Albatros Arctic Circle, said continued investment in Kangerlussuaq’s tourism sector, is important not just for the region, but because it operates as a jumping off point for tourism in other settlements. 

“We have put a lot of effort into emphasizing its importance as the country’s second largest tourist destination,” he said.

“Kangerlussuaq is good for combination tourism because agents also sell holidays to Ilulissat and Sisimiut, for example,” says Jørgen Larsen.

In addition, Larsen said maintaining tourism in the region is important for the economic health of the village.

“Kangerlussuaq is an important place for everyone who works and lives here,” he said.

“With this agreement, we ensure that our employees can continue to work and that life in the settlement can continue to be preserved and develop.”

Iceland: Iceland moving ahead on better ways to manage tourism & safeguard protected areas, Eye on the Arctic

Sweden: Reindeer herding affected by increased tourism in Swedish mountains, Radio Swede