Greenland opens international airport in Ilulissat — the third under the expansion program

Opening of the airport in Ilulissat

On Thursday, October 30, 2026, a new international airport opened in Ilulissat, Greenland's third-largest city, following approval from the Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority, euronews reports. The 2,200-meter runway can handle large aircraft, allowing direct international flights to the city for the first time — a city that the operator Greenland Airports calls a hub for the Disko Bay region and Northern Greenland.

Completion of the expansion program

The airport is the third opened in Greenland since 2024 and the last under the expansion program: airports in Nuuk (November 2024) and Qaqortoq (April 2026) began operating earlier. According to the operator Greenland Airports, the three airports

Routes and phased launch

On the opening day, Air Greenland launched a direct route between Ilulissat and Copenhagen; the regular winter schedule begins in November. The route will initially be operated by Jettime on a Boeing 737-800, with flights mainly on Wednesdays, plus additional departures on Mondays during the Christmas and New Year period and in March. Icelandair plans seasonal flights between Keflavik and Ilulissat from June 3 to October 16, 2027. Air Greenland's domestic flights connect Ilulissat with Nuuk, Aasiaat, Qaarsut and Upernavik.

What this changes in practice

Until now, international travelers wanting to see the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site, could not fly there directly. Now direct flights from Copenhagen are already operating, and seasonal service with Iceland is scheduled for the summer of 2027. The airport's operations will be scaled up in stages: Greenland Airports said the goal is full capacity by the summer 2027 season. The company's chairman of the board, Jens Wittrup Willumsen, emphasized that

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