On 29 October 2026, the first large passenger airliner — an Airbus A330neo of Air Greenland — landed in Ilulissat. The event marked the opening of a new international airport with a runway 2200 metres long, replacing the former short runway of 845 metres. Direct flights from Copenhagen now take about five hours, and travellers no longer need to make connections in Nuuk or Kangerlussuaq.
Ilulissat is Greenland's third-largest town and the main gateway to Disko Bay with its gigantic icebergs and the UNESCO-listed Ilulissat Icefjord. The new terminal, with an area of about 5000 square metres, and modern infrastructure make it possible to handle wide-body aircraft. According to Greenland Airports, full operations are expected by the summer season of 2027, while for now operations are being ramped up gradually.
This completes a large-scale programme to build three new airports: in Nuuk (2024), Qaqortoq (2026) and now in Ilulissat. Previously, international flights to northern Greenland depended on the former US base at Kangerlussuaq. Direct links with Europe and, possibly, Iceland in summer are changing the region's logistics, cutting travel time and opening access to remote settlements and tourist routes.
For tourism, this means an influx of visitors to one of the most famous Arctic wonders. However, growing accessibility raises the question of balance: how to preserve the fragile nature of the fjord and the traditional way of life of the Inuit as the flow of guests increases. The authorities emphasise that the infrastructure creates opportunities for business and freight transport, but the real impact on the environment and local communities will only become apparent over time.
According to Jens Lauridsen, CEO of Greenland Airports, hundreds of people spent years preparing this project. The Prime Minister and representatives of Visit Greenland note its historic significance: the airports are forming a new foundation for Greenland's connections with the world. The first flights are already operating, and from November 2026 the Copenhagen route will be continued by Jettime on a Boeing 737.
The opening of the airport in Ilulissat does not simply make logistics easier — it changes the very nature of the Arctic journey, bringing the icy expanses closer while requiring a conscious approach to their preservation.
