Ilulissat’s new international airport opened on October 29, 2026, giving Disko Bay and North Greenland a 2,200-metre runway and a direct link to Copenhagen. Greenland Airports announced the opening after receiving approval from Denmark’s Civil Aviation and Railway Authority.
The opening starts a phased introduction of operations. The regulator says the airport’s approval includes temporary conditions and operating restrictions while it gains experience; Greenland Airports aims to reach full operation for the summer 2027 season.
What the approval covers
The Danish authority says its approval covers the runway, fire and rescue arrangements, safety procedures, terminal security and tower air traffic services. Its teams carried out inspections and a test flight before issuing the final approval overnight ahead of Thursday’s opening.
Capacity will increase gradually as staff gain familiarity with traffic and procedures. The authority expects the restrictions to have little effect on the already limited off-season timetable, and says it will continue inspections before conditions can be relaxed.
Greenland Airports separately describes the airport’s security approval as unrestricted. That statement concerns security: it does not remove the temporary operating conditions described by the regulator.
Copenhagen service: opening flight and winter programme differ
Air Greenland’s published plan assigns its Airbus A330neo, Tuukkaq, to the October 29 opening flight between Copenhagen and Ilulissat. The ordinary winter programme begins in November with Jettime operating a Boeing 737-800.
The airline says winter flights operate primarily on Wednesdays, with selected additional Monday departures around Christmas, New Year and in March. Its published local times are 09:45 from Copenhagen and 11:45 into Ilulissat for GL707, then 13:15 from Ilulissat and 21:00 into Copenhagen for GL708. Timetables can change; these are scheduled times, not a live flight-status report.
From April 2027, Air Greenland plans to assign its new Airbus A320neo, Unaaq, to the route. It plans a gradual expansion to as many as six direct weekly rotations during the peak summer period.
What passengers should check
Confirm the operating carrier, travel date, local departure time and onward connections in the airline’s booking or flight-status system. An airport opening does not mean every planned seasonal service or frequency begins immediately.
Ilulissat becomes Air Greenland’s second international hub alongside Nuuk, with onward links into Disko Bay and North Greenland. Greenland Airports says the opening completes its three-airport programme, following Nuuk in November 2024 and Qaqortoq in April 2026.
The featured photograph is a July 2024 archive view of Air Greenland aircraft at Kangerlussuaq. It does not show Ilulissat’s new airport or the opening flight.
Sources
- Greenland Airports: October 29 opening and phased operations
- Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority: approval and temporary conditions, October 29
- Air Greenland: Copenhagen route and seasonal operating plan
