New airport opens on world’s largest island with weekly flights to unspoilt region

A new airport has opened in Greenland, making one of the Arctic’s most remote and culturally rich regions far easier to reach.

The Qaqortoq hub gives travellers direct access to South Greenland for the first time, opening up a part of the island known for its striking landscapes, deep-rooted farming traditions, and Inuit and Norse heritage.

But while Qaqortoq is a popular stop for cruise ships – with over 30,000 passengers disembarking annually, for activities like kayaking, hiking, whale-watching, or a dip in the nearby Uunartoq hot springs – just 1,700 tourists on average stay overnight each year.

It’s fairly easy to understand why.

The 306-mile journey from Nuuk, the country’s capital, would previously have meant two days on a ferry, or a flight to Narsarsuaq, followed by a helicopter or boat transfer.

Now, visitors can reach the city in just 75 minutes by air.

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Anne Nivika Grødem, director of Visit Greenland, commented: ‘South Greenland offers a rare combination of powerful nature and a living culture shaped over generations.

‘Improved access allows us to welcome visitors with greater intention – encouraging travel with curiosity [and offering] more meaningful experiences for our guests.’
Air Greenland said it will operate around two daily 75-minute direct flights between Nuuk and Qaqortoq year-round, rising to as many as 17 weekly services in summer, while Icelandair plans to run four weekly summer flights to and from Keflavík, starting from June 2.

The opening of Qaqortoq airport forms part of a series of upgrades to Greenland’s flight network, following recent renovations to Nuuk Airport in the country’s capital, with a major expansion of Ilulissat Airport also underway.

The northern hub, due to reopen in October 2026, will feature a new terminal and a 2,200m by 60m runway, allowing larger jet aircraft to operate direct international services from mainland Europe and the Americas.

The project — which was subsidised by the Government of Denmark to the tune of DKK 2.1 billion (over £244 million) — had originally been expected to finish in 2024, but delays pushed completion back to 2026.

Travel and tourism in Greenland

Visitors come for vast Arctic landscapes, iceberg-filled fjords, whales, hiking and dog sledding, but also for the chance to experience a living Inuit culture in communities that remain deeply connected to the land and sea.

Metro travel editor Alice Murphy says ‘there’s nowhere like it on Earth’, while travel writer Jeanine Barone is ‘in love with’ the island after several visits, describing Nuuk as ‘a buzzy, savvy city with contemporary art, design, architecture, cuisine and fashion.’
In recent years, Greenland has been working to boost visitor numbers, with a focus on higher-value, lower-impact travel — and it seems to be working, with online searches seeing a 48.39% rise over the past 12 months.

And the US President threatening to invade earlier this year hasn’t threatened the upwards trajectory, with one travel operator saying Trump had ‘really put Greenland on the map once again’.

Hotels actually recorded a 46% increase in foreign guests – most of them Americans
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.