Greenland’s new Ilulissat International Airport has welcomed its first passengers, with a 2,200-metre runway opening direct international connections to Disko Bay and North Greenland.
Ilulissat International Airport (JAV) in Greenland has welcomed its first passengers, completing a national programme that has delivered three new airports in Ilulissat, Nuuk and Qaqortoq.
The new airport features a 2,200-metre (7,200-foot) runway capable of accommodating larger passenger aircraft, enabling direct international connections to Greenland’s third-largest city, the natural hub for Disko Bay and North Greenland.
Jens Lauridsen, CEO of Greenland Airports, described the opening as the culmination of years of work.
“We can now welcome the first passengers at the new Ilulissat International Airport. We have been looking forward to this for years, and hundreds of people have worked hard so that we can now complete a historic expansion of Greenland’s infrastructure.”
“The opening is a historic milestone for Ilulissat, for North Greenland, and for all of Greenland. The three new airports in Ilulissat, Nuuk, and Qaqortoq fundamentally change how the country is connected internally and how Greenland is connected to the rest of the world,” he added.
Direct access to Disko Bay and the Ilulissat Icefjord
According to Greenland Airports, the airport will give residents and businesses in the region shorter travel times and better connections. For tourism, international visitors will be able to travel directly to the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The operator also expects the airport to create new opportunities for business, cargo and regional development across North Greenland.
Security at Ilulissat Airport has been approved without restrictions as part of the airport’s approval process, which Greenland Airports described as an important result and a strong starting point for operations.
Operations will ramp up gradually, with opening hours and activity expanding as services are phased in. Greenland Airports aims for the airport to be fully operational by the summer 2027 season.
Lauridsen said the work would continue beyond opening day.
“This is a great day for all of us, and we have every reason to be proud of what our colleagues have achieved. They have worked incredibly hard, and it is fantastic to see their efforts pay off. But the work doesn’t stop just because we open the doors. We will keep training our procedures, optimising staffing, and strengthening collaboration across teams to ensure smooth, well-functioning operations and give passengers the best possible experience.”
Ilulissat is the last of Greenland’s three new airports, following Nuuk and Qaqortoq, which opened in November 2024 and April 2026 respectively. Together, Greenland Airports said, they form a new backbone for the country’s infrastructure.
Jens Wittrup Willumsen, Chairman of the Board of Greenland Airports, said: “Infrastructure is a long-term investment, and its real impact is measured in decades. With the three new airports, Greenland has a foundation that future generations can build on. Now the task is to ensure that the new facilities benefit the entire country, including the towns and settlements around the airports, as part of the future development of business and tourism.”
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