Air Greenland and Albatros Arctic Circle have signed an agreement to operate two weekly flights to and from Kangerlussuaq to Copenhagen between March and October 2025.

The route is expected to develop combination tourism and will add morning and evening flights from Nuuk to Copenhagen via Kangerlussuaq and afternoon flights from Copenhagen.

When the international runway opens in Nuuk on 28 November 2024, the Atlantic route between Kangerlussuaq and Copenhagen will close - at least for a while. On 17 March 2025, the route will reopen with two weekly flights until 16 October 2025. 

This comes after Air Greenland A/S and Albatros Arctic Circle ApS signed an agreement on Wednesday 10 July to fly between Copenhagen and Kangerlussuaq twice a week with Jettime's Boeing 737-800. The aircraft will also be included on the route from Nuuk to Copenhagen via Kangerlussuaq with one morning and one evening departure, while its departures from Copenhagen will be in the afternoon. Read more about the route in the facts below.

Kangerlussuaq is a popular destination with around 10,000 tourists annually, who typically combine a stay before or after their trip in Central or North Greenland.

Therefore, it has been important for Air Greenland to identify the demand and need for services to the settlement, especially after Nuuk becomes the primary hub for international and domestic flights.

It wasn't until it was finally clarified that the runway in Kangerlussuaq could be used for larger civilian aircraft that a direct route between Kangerlussuaq and Copenhagen was seriously considered.

“It has opened more opportunities. We believe there are good conditions for a direct route between Kangerlussuaq and Copenhagen, as we can also use the aircraft as an extension of the route. We'll add a morning and evening departure from Nuuk to Copenhagen via Kangerlussuaq and afternoon departures from Copenhagen via Kangerlussuaq to Nuuk. This will strengthen our range of departures and make us stronger in a competitive situation," says Kasper Thomsen Rungfeldt.

He compliments Albatros Arctic Circle for taking co-ownership for the creation of the route.

“The agreement would not have been realised if it wasn't for their determination and belief in their product. They contribute financially to the route and that is a very important incentive for the route to be created and for it to be a success”.

The tourism company Albatros Arctic Circle has been working hard to develop Kangerlussuaq as a tourist destination for the past twenty years and today it is one of the settlement's employers with around 100 employees. In addition to offering excursions to the ice cap and tours in the beautiful surroundings, the company services cruise companies in replacing their crews and guests, and runs the Old Camp, Polar Lodge and Hotel Kangerlussuaq accommodation, as well as Restaurant Roklubben and Restaurant MuskOx.

Director of Albatros Arctic Circle, Jørgen Larsen, has been working with tourism development in Kangerlussuaq since the early 2000s. He is very glad and relieved that the settlement will have a direct flight connection to and from Copenhagen.

He explains that the development of tourism in Kangerlussuaq really took off when Albatros Arctic Circle came to the settlement in 2007. He himself had worked with excursions since he moved there in 2000.

“Kangerlussuaq has evolved from a transit airport to an attractive tourist destination. This development requires financial investments and a lot of labour. Therefore, it is extremely important for us and the settlement in general that the airport can continue to receive larger aircraft. This has now meant that we can contribute to the establishment of the route between Kangerlussuaq and Copenhagen, and thus also the domestic routes to Sisimiut, Ilulissat and Nuuk”, he says and continues.

"We can and will continue to develop Kangerlussuaq as a destination, especially with a focus on the ice cap, wildlife, the very stable flights and new, more adventure-orientated products," Jørgen Larsen concludes.

The parties cannot go into detail about the content of the agreement, but Air Greenland points out that more people benefit from the route, such as agents, tour operators, shops, the airport, and thus to employment, which creates more revenue for the municipality and the national treasury.