On Tuesday 2 December, Air Greenland held a topping-out ceremony for the new hangar that will house the helicopters operating the service contract in South Greenland. The event brought together many attendees from the business community, partners and the municipality – all looking forward with great anticipation to the opening of Qaqortoq’s new airport next year.

Air Greenland’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Inga Dora G. Markussen, and Chief Commercial Officer, Chris Shern, welcomed the guests with a speech highlighting the importance of the new infrastructure for the region:

– This hangar is more than a construction project – it is an investment in the future of all of South Greenland. We are creating the foundation for growth, collaboration and new opportunities when the new airport opens next year, they said.

The 715 m² hangar is designed to accommodate either one H155 and two H125 helicopters or one H225. In addition, the building includes 125 m² of entrance area, office and break rooms, toilet, cleaning facilities, storage/depot and technical rooms. Construction began with blasting work in March, and the hangar is expected to be handed over in January.

Towards the end of Air Greenland’s speech, the traditional threefold hurrah was given for the contractor KJ Greenland and the many craftspeople who carried out the construction. According to Air Greenland’s Property and Campus Developer, Jess Angelo Degn Jacobsen, they – together with subcontractors – delivered impressive work under at times challenging conditions.

KJ Greenland then took the floor, where Construction Manager Anders X thanked the craftspeople for their outstanding efforts. The Mayor of Kommune Kujalleq, Malene Vahl, also gave a short speech, emphasising that only four and a half months remain until the airport opens, and encouraging local businesses to collaborate to prepare for the development ahead.

The hangar will be located next to Sermeq Helicopters’ facilities, which Air Greenland highlighted as a strong symbol of cooperation:

– Becoming neighbours to Sermeq Helicopters is, to us, a strong symbol of collaboration. We know that development succeeds best when we lift together, the directors said – a message warmly received by the audience.

Sermeq Helicopters’ CEO, Pilu Nielsen, also thanked Air Greenland for the invitation and highlighted the good collaboration between pilots and mechanics:

– We are used to working closely together, since we operate within the same field here on the ground, he said, before inviting the two Air Greenland directors forward to receive a gift.

– I know this gift will create a sense of togetherness – a grill that will bring neighbours together, he added with a smile. The gift was received with enthusiasm.

After the speeches, guests enjoyed an impressive selection of food and cakes prepared by KJ Greenland’s kitchen staff.

When Qaqortoq’s new airport opens on 16 April next year, it is expected to become a key hub for transport, service and regional connectivity. At the same time, the employees who handle daily operations – pilots, mechanics and hoist operators – will move from Narsarsuaq to Qaqortoq.

KJ Greenland is also well underway with constructing eight staff housing units for Air Greenland, set for completion in February next year, while construction of Greenland Airports’ new terminal building is progressing rapidly.

After the ceremony, Arctic engineer Ukaliina Josefsen from KJ Greenland Josefsen gave guests a tour of the terminal construction site. It was easy to envision the final layout, and the AFIS tower inside the building sparked great interest.

Planning for the commissioning of the new infrastructure has now begun, in close collaboration with Greenland Airports.