Ilulissat, GreenlandAP —
Greenland has opened a new international airport to attract tourists from around the world as the Arctic island seeks eventual independence from Denmark.
Thursday’s first international flight between Denmark’s Copenhagen and Greenland’s Ilulissat was part of the island government’s efforts to grow its tourism industry to boost and diversify an economy still dependent on fishing.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen said the new airport was “one of the biggest investments” in the island’s history. Mr Nielsen was one of 169 passengers on Thursday’s four-and-a-half-hour flight on an Airbus A330neo. An Associated Press reporter also flew for this story on a plane operated by government-owned Air Greenland as part of a trip organized by the tourism agency Visit Greenland.
“If Greenland wants to be independent, it needs to have a strong economic, industrial and business foundation,” Nielsen told The Associated Press before his flight departed.
The strategic island, home to about 56,000 people, has been a focus of US President Donald Trump since his first term, when he first announced his desire to acquire Greenland. During his second term in office, he repeatedly threatened to take territory from NATO ally Denmark, sparking months of tension with other NATO allies. In September, President Trump signed an agreement with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland that strengthens security in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
Danish Finance Minister Peter Hummelgaard, who was also on the first flight, said: “There is no doubt that the whole Kingdom of Denmark, and Greenland in particular, is in the shadow of this.” “I think the opening of this new international airport is a sign of hope and optimism.”
Known as the “City of Icebergs”, Ilulissat is located along the island’s west coast and is home to approximately 5,000 people. Greenland’s third largest city is also one of the most visited destinations on the island. More than 550 kilometers north of the capital Nuuk, the town offers a wide range of tourist services, from dog sled tours to icefjord cruises in picturesque Disko Bay, known for its towering icebergs.
Previously, travelers arriving in Ilulissat had to arrive by cruise ship, take a small plane from Iceland, or fly to one of Greenland’s international hubs and transfer to a small plane. There are no road connections from other large towns.
For decades, Greenland’s main international aviation gateways were the former US military air bases at Kangerlussuaq and Narsarsuaq, distant echoes of World War II. Local residents and international tourists had to land there before boarding small planes bound for the island’s major cities, including Ilulissat and Nuuk. The situation changed with the opening of the international airport in Nuuk at the end of 2024.
