Greenland's new international airport in Ilulissat has opened with a 2,200-metre runway and a new direct Copenhagen route, finishing the country's airport overhaul.
Greenland's new international airport in Ilulissat, the country's third-largest town, opened on Thursday after approval from the Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority. Operator Greenland Airports describes it as the "final piece" of a historic expansion programme that began with Nuuk in November 2024 and continued with Qaqortoq in April 2026. The operator says the three airports together form a new backbone for the island's infrastructure and change how Greenland is connected both internally and to the wider world.
The airport has a 2,200-metre runway able to handle larger aircraft, which makes direct international services to Ilulissat possible. Air Greenland flies domestic routes between Ilulissat and destinations including Nuuk, Aasiaat, Qaarsut and Upernavik, and it launched a direct Copenhagen route on opening day. That route will initially be operated by Jettime with a Boeing 737-800, mainly on Wednesdays, with some extra Monday departures around Christmas, New Year and in March. Icelandair is due to run a seasonal Keflavík–Ilulissat service from 3 June to 16 October 2027.
Operations will ramp up gradually, with opening hours and activity expanding in phases; the operator's goal is full operation by the summer 2027 season. Ilulissat sits on Greenland's west coast about 250 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle beside Disko Bay, known for its huge icebergs, and visitors can now fly in directly to see its UNESCO-listed icefjord. Partly funded by Denmark, the project is intended to support the local economy and tourism, and Greenland Airports' chairman says the task now is to ensure the new facilities benefit towns and settlements around the airports.
