Africana55 Radio 
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.
Already a member? Log in
Greenland has launched a new international airport to attract visitors from around the globe, as the Arctic territory works towards achieving eventual independence from Denmark.
The inaugural international route linking Copenhagen, Denmark, with Ilulissat, Greenland, on Thursday formed part of the island administration's strategy to expand tourism and broaden an economy currently dependent on fishing.
Ilulissat, known as the "City of Icebergs," sits along the island's western coast and is home to some 5,000 people. Greenland's third-largest city is also one of the island's most-visited destinations. More than 550 kilometers (342 miles) north of the capital, Nuuk, its tourism offerings range from sled dog tours to icefjord cruises in picturesque Disko Bay, known for its towering icebergs.
Previously, travelers reaching Ilulissat had to arrive by cruise ship, take a small plane from Iceland or fly to one of Greenland’s international hubs and connect to smaller aircraft. There are no road connections from other big towns.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen characterized the new airport as "one of the biggest investments" in the island’s history, joining 168 other passengers on Thursday's 4.5-hour flight aboard an Airbus A330neo.
"If Greenland wants to be independent, we need to have a strong foundation, both economically and in terms of industry and business," Nielsen remarked prior to takeoff.
The strategic island, home to roughly 56,000 people, has remained a focus for President Donald Trump since his initial term, when he first expressed an interest in buying Greenland. Repeated threats to take the territory from NATO ally Denmark during his second term sparked months of friction among NATO members. In September, Trump concluded an agreement alongside leaders from Denmark and Greenland aimed at enhancing security across the Arctic and North Atlantic regions.
"There’s no doubt that it has been a shadow over the entire Kingdom of Denmark, but especially Greenland," remarked Danish Finance Minister Peter Hummelgaard, who was also on board the flight. "The opening of this new international airport marks, I think, hope and optimism."
For decades, Greenland’s main international aviation gateways were former U.S. military air bases, distant echoes of World War II, in Kangerlussuaq and Narsarsuaq. Locals and international visitors had to land there before catching smaller aircraft to the island's major towns, including Ilulissat and Nuuk. That changed in late 2024, when an international airport opened in Nuuk.
United Airlines last year began a new seasonal route between Nuuk and Newark, New Jersey. The inaugural flight was the first direct from the U.S. to Greenland by an American airline.
The Ilulissat airport, meanwhile, has a 5,000-square-meter (53,820 square feet) terminal and a new 2,200-meter (1.37-mile) runway, long enough to accommodate larger passenger aircraft. Air Greenland has committed to as many as six weekly flights between Copenhagen and Ilulissat during next year’s peak summer months, and Icelandair will also fly large jets from its Keflavik hub. Jens R. Lauridsen, CEO of Greenland Airports, said the company is also hoping to lure airlines in the U.S. and mainland Europe to serve Ilulissat.
“It’s quite wonderful that you can go directly right now,” said Kirsten Berthelsen, a 35-year-old Ilulissat resident and student who booked a ticket for Thursday's flight without realizing it was the inaugural service. “Sometimes it’s quite difficult to travel from Nuuk and to other countries.”
While the number of international visitors to Greenland has grown by at least 65% since 2018, reaching almost 150,000 in 2024, the expected travel boom has yet to materialize. In 2024, tourism accounted for less than 5% of the territory's GDP. Infrastructure, including hotel capacity, remains limited.
Aalborg University associate professor Carina Ren, who specializes in Arctic tourism, said some U.S. tourists were even deterred from visiting the island because of the recent Trump standoff, with a few canceling their flights.
“I’ve heard of people canceling their bookings, but also others canceling because they were afraid that perhaps they would not be welcomed,” she said, adding that many Americans still visit, particularly on cruise ships.
Even so, there are some local concerns about mass tourism and potential damage to Greenland’s fragile nature.
Palle Jerimiassen, a former regional mayor, said he fears the city's environment, population and infrastructure may be overwhelmed by too many visitors.
“How many can we invite?” he said. “We are welcoming all the tourists, it’s a possibility to earn some new money."
He added: "But we have to be careful.”