Greenland opens Ilulissat airport, creating a direct gateway to Disko Bay

Ilulissat International Airport terminal
Official Greenland Airports photograph of the new Ilulissat terminal in snow, with the airport name visible on the facade.

Ilulissat's new international airport opened on Thursday, October 29, after receiving final approval from Denmark's aviation authorities. Its 2,200-metre runway can handle larger aircraft, allowing direct international services into Disko Bay and North Greenland rather than requiring visitors to connect through smaller regional airports. The opening completes Greenland's three-airport expansion, following Nuuk in November 2024 and Qaqortoq in April 2026.

Air Greenland launched a direct Copenhagen–Ilulissat service on the opening day. The regular winter timetable begins in November, initially with Jettime Boeing 737-800 flights, primarily on Wednesdays and with selected additional departures. Icelandair has announced a seasonal Keflavík–Ilulissat service from June 3 to October 16, 2027. Greenland Airports says activity and opening hours will ramp up in phases, with full operations targeted for the summer 2027 season.

The new gateway places visitors closer to the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site, but the airport alone does not remove the region's limits in accommodation, infrastructure or environmental capacity. The development is a major transport change for North Greenland; how much tourism it can support will depend on those local constraints.