The Runway That Opened Greenland to the World

[@FlyFurther]

Greenland seems like a cool place. Would you go?

[@aadityasaviation3274]

Yes I would.

[@larswillsen]

I'm a Greenlander :)

[@julianneheindorf5757]

I live here…

[@FlyFurther]

@@larswillsenThat is so cool Lars! How is it there? Thanks for watching :)

[@FlyFurther]

@@julianneheindorf5757Oh wow! That’s so cool. What do you like most about living up there Julia?

[@solracer66]

I believe that all of the Greenland scenes in Mitty were actually filmed in Iceland. Höfn in Iceland filled in for Nuuk Airport in the film. Iceland also filled in for the Himalayas and Afghanistan.

[@FlyFurther]

Oh wow! Thanks for letting us know. Must be difficult getting film equipment to Greenland. Sorta the same for James Bond and the Faroe Islands since Daniel Craig was never actually there - it was a green screen.

[@PahulAcharya]

Great video bro, I have a few questions how can I reach out to you?

[@FlyFurther]

Thanks Pahul! You can send your questions to [e-mail]

[@ramkold]

Great video. Although there will be issues from time to time regarding landing i Nuuk during the winter. I know someone who took the flight from Copenhagen to Nuuk last week and the jet had to divert back to Cph about an hour into the flight, because of blizzard and slippery conditions on the tarmac. That never happened when they used to land in Kangerlussuaq due to the location of that airport being hidden deep in an inlet. Those types of weather conditions are to be expected from November to April. But so far it gets to land on most days and has only had 1 of those diversions. Fun fact. Ben Stiller was never in Greenland. The airplane was made in cgi and cabin was filmed in a studio, but atleast they used the Air Greenland logo. They filmed Greenland in Iceland.

[@FlyFurther]

Thanks! Yeah that makes sense with Stiller and the winter flights. I would imagine that Air Greenland has a a backup plan so they likely keep some additional staff at Kangerlussuaq.

[@julianneheindorf5757]

Nice video and your information is correct. 😊👍 Kangerlussuaq is a tough one to pronounce correctly so you are forgiven. But you did make it sound like we had no airports before the new runway. This is not correct. Every major town in Greenland, except Qaqortoq in the south due to their proximity to the runway in Narsarsuaq, has a short runway, long enough for STOL planes such as the De Havilland DASH 7 and the slightly smaller, but faster DASH 8. The real game changer for Nuuk was when we got the smaller runway in 1979. Before that we either had to travel for a day and a half on the ferry boat to get from Nuuk to Kangerlussuaq, an old US airbase built during World War II, or go by a Sikorsky S61N helicopter to Kangerlussuaq. This was the largest passenger helicopter in existence holding about 22 passengers, and the helicopter took two and a half hours to make the trip, with a stop in Maniitsiq on the way for refueling. Loved those old helicopters. They were great fun to fly in. They shook and rattled like crazy, but as someone said: if they stop shaking in mid air and go all quiet that’s when you start getting worried. 😂 The DASH 7 only used 50 minutes to get between Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq with around 45 passengers and was not nearly as dependent on the weather as the helicopter. Nuuk grew substantially during the following decades. This plane was a true workhorse, reliable, built for our weather and super safe. Air Greenland had about six of them. While there won’t be the need for many daily flights anymore between Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq, the fleet of DASH 8s will be used to better the connections to other towns in Greenland. Yes, Nuuk will get an influx of more visitors, but the bulk of tourists want to go to Ilulissat to see the icefiord. Their new long runway won’t open until 2026, but when it does it will impact traffic to Nuuk. Nor will Kangerlussuaq be forgotten. It’s strategic importance is too great. Besides there is a lot to do and see in Kangerlussuaq for visitors. Air Greenland is actually planning on having two weekly flights between Nuuk and Copenhagen next summer make stopovers in Kangerlussuaq en route to pick up and drop off passengers going north or coming from the north. It is way too early yet to see what the full impact of this new direct route is going to mean for Nuuk, but it’s an awesome sight to see this big jet come in and land or take off from here. From my kitchen windows I have a direct view to the southern end of the new runway. We were all anticipating that this jet coming and going would be a noisy experience, but in fact it’s even less noisy than the DASH 8. People have always been worried that we never have enough hotel rooms. This worry is a waste of time. If the need is there the hotels go up. In recent years, and especially in view of the new runway, a whole slew of hotels and other accommodation has gone up with more to follow. The same goes for new restaurants. I’ve seen Nuuk go from a predominately small fishing settlement, but always the capital, of 3000 people in the mid-1960s to a major metropolis in Greenland, with a distinct international vibe, of 20,000 people. It’s not London, Paris, New York. It’s London, Paris, Nuuk.😁 Obviously, we have got the most beautiful capital city in the world, and of course, my opinion is strictly objective and not biased at all.. 😁

[@FlyFurther]

Thanks Julia! Yeah I was looking at Illulissat as well and once that airport can handle longer flights it’ll be a game changer. Appreciate the history here as well!

[@steinarnielsen8954]

A transatlantic hub in Greenland will kill demand for widebodies. Most of Europe and North America is within range of the B737 and A320.

[@FlyFurther]

Interested approach! Nuuk doesn’t currently have the capacity to have a hub. Also, there is preference for nonstop flights to major Europe destinations so I think demand for widebodies will always be there, especially to/from major cities

[@steinarnielsen8954]

@@FlyFurther Long haul flights are reliant on business class to stay profitable. Most employers will refuse to pay for business fares unless one leg is more than 6 hours. In many cases, a stopover in Greenland will solve that issue.

[@FlyFurther]

That’s a good point. Don’t forget the rise of premium leisure demand where more people are paying for premium experiences like business or premium economy as well - especially during busy periods like summer. While there may be some who are willing to pay a lot for business class, the lower volume can be an issue. Perhaps KEF in Iceland would be better for your example. They are currently in the process of expanding and have room to grow. I think Nuuk will be more about the local tourism market within Greenland. Thoughts?

[@steinarnielsen8954]

@@FlyFurther Keflavik could definitely do with an upgrade. The terminal building is cramped with little seating. And passengers regularly having to be transported by bus to/from the aircraft, thus causing delays.

[@plaisukhum7934]

This seems like what happened to Anchorage in the 2020s

[@susanhelmer1]

I shared your video on a Greenland Airports Discord server I run. Hope you don't mind. Thanks.

[@FlyFurther]

Oh that’s awesome Susan! Thanks for sharing.

[@susanhelmer1]

@@FlyFurther Happy to share! We're just a group of Greenland/Aviation/Aurora enthusiasts who decided we wanted to stay together after GA shut down their YT chats :( we have a few locals among us and one that does spotting @bhj76.

[@papa_gals23]

Time to update Plague, Inc.

[@aqqalukpetersen8483]

It’s not Newark american airlines is going to operate, it’s New york american airlines is going to do

[@torbenlarsen331]

Who paid for these airports?

[@torbenlarsen331]

The Danish taxpayers. Strange when you, knowing the people of Greenland want to separate from Denmark, but of course, they really like the danish taxpayers

[@FlyFurther]

Yeah, airports aren’t cheap. And even though the Greenland ones are small, they are really expensive.

[@julianneheindorf5757]

@@torbenlarsen331not everyone wants to separate from Denmark. But yeah, there is a movement for independence. Greenland was looking for finance everywhere and were also in talks with the Chinese who have lots of experience with mega projects. However, the Americans did not like the idea of China men in Greenland, nor did Denmark, so they got the Danish government to step in and pay upfront for the bulk of the airport. Former PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen even publicly admitted as much, but people for the next three or four generations in Greenland are going to be paying Denmark back for these airports. Personally, I’m happy China did not get a foothold here. They have been doing dodgy business all over Africa to great detriment of many African countries. Please note that Greenland never asked to be a part of Denmark in the first place. Greenland was annexed by Denmark three centuries ago and only since 1979 have people in Greenland had the opportunity to make their own decisions without everything being decided in Copenhagen. As for independence it’s not feasible. We don’t have enough people nor is the bulk of our population educated enough to maintain an independence and safeguard the sovereignty of Greenland. Our best bet now is to not only maintain, but strengthen our ties with Denmark especially in the wake of trumps threats of occupying and annexing us. His goons have published a game plan for how this can be done.

[@kalesiegstad3909]

@@torbenlarsen331Persons like you only think one way, you and your fellows don’t even think about what Denmark gets from Greenland.