Just months after Nuuk Airport (GOH | BGGH) unveiled its new terminal, Greenland’s capital is inaugurating its new 2200m runway, a major shift in the country’s aviation landscape. The new, lengthened runway will enable large jets to land in Nuuk for the first time. Prior to this, all international jet flights operated out of Kangerlussuaq (SFJ | BGSF) to the north.
New runway, new opportunities
The old 950m runway in Nuuk did not allow large passenger aircraft to operate in Nuuk. The short length and lack of precision instrument guidance limited flights to aircraft like the Dash 8.
The lengthened runway is already opening up new opportunities and new routes from Greenland’s capital. Icelandair is set to increase service in 2025, upgauging its flights from Reykjavik to the Boeing 737-8 MAX for the summer season. SAS will also offer service in the summer season between Nuuk and Copenhagen, scheduled for three flights per week. And United Airlines will become the first American carrier to operate flights to Nuuk when it launches service from Newark in June 2025.
Tuukkaq will be the first to land
When the new runway officially opens on 28 November, it will of course be Air Greenland’s A330-800neo “Tuukkaq” that will be the first to land. Flight GL781 is scheduled to depart Copenhagen at 10:45 local time (09:45 UTC), arriving in Nuuk at 12:35 local (14:35 UTC).
The return flight to Copenhagen will depart Nuuk at 14:35 local time (16:35 UTC).
Building and flying at the same time
Construction on the new runway at Nuuk began in 2019 and one of the major challenges was keeping the airport operational for the duration of the project. To accomplish that task, the first phase focused on the southern portion the new runway, which was then opened at the same declared length as the old runway. Work then shifted to the northern section to complete the expansion from 950m to 2200m. In total, nearly 6 million cubic meters of rock were moved to support the airport’s construction.
What the expanded runway and terminal in Nuuk mean for Greenland in the long term is an open question. We spoke with Aviaaja Karlshøj Knudsen, the Executive Project Director at Kalaallit Airports, in 2021 to get a better understanding of how the airport operator is approaching the opening of the new facilities and what the longer runway might mean for Greenland as a whole.
As for Air Greenland, “Nuuk Airport will be the new hub for international and domestic flights to the entire country, where passengers will change planes depending on their final destination, just as we see today in Kangerlussuaq,” said the airline’s CEO Jacob Nitter Sørensen. The airline spent the days prior to 28 November moving its staff and equipment from Kangerlussuaq to Nuuk after the final flight to Copenhagen departed.
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