We joined the inaugural Air Greenland flight to Canada!

Today we’re in Greenland flying the first flight between Nuuk and Iqaluit in Nunavut, Canada. We're behind the scenes for the celebrations on both sides, we're in the cockpit for the takeoff and then in the passenger cabin for the second half of the flight.
We’re also departing out of the two day-old new terminal in Nuuk, a beautiful upgrade for Greenland's capital and one that will hopefully see many more new services to North America and elsewhere in the coming years.
It's a seemingly obvious route that has never worked before (Air Greenland tried it without success ten years ago) because the people are so closely related on either side. Until recently though, colonial histories have meant Greenland looked to Denmark instead of to its cousins just across the sea. It's a two-hour flight from Nuuk to Iqaluit on the Dash 8, and it feels like a world apart at the same time as being very similar.
And now because of an Air Greenland partnership with Canadian North it's possible to book interline connections all the way to Ottawa from Nuuk, and from Ottawa to points in Greenland in the other direction. Visit canadiannorth.com for more info on their offering (and stay tuned for some videos from their flights coming soon as well!)
This marks the real start of the coming new era for Air Greenland, with lots of change on the way including the shift of the A330neo flight from Kangerlussuaq to directly serving Copenhagen-Nuuk once the new 2200 meter runway opens in November 2024. We’ve got a lot of Dash 8 fun for you, in the cockpit, in the cabin, and over in Nunavut, Canada - what an amazing day. Stay tuned.
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[@PerkeleKeyboardist]

Imagine Nuuk being a competitor to Keflavik for narrow-body intercontinental flights with a transfer in such an amazing location!

[@stickynorth]

Bingo! I hope that model can be replicated too! I'd love an YEG-GOH flight personally...

[@gretareinarsson7461]

Will never happen

[@afcgeo882]

I doubt it because of their very chaotic weather.

[@randallgvideos]

Sounds cool but the Iceland advantage is the flights between North America and Europe include a stopover for up to 7 days for no extra cost. There is a lot to see and do in Iceland if you have a few days. Nuuk not so much.

[@afcgeo882]

@@randallgvideos I would guess that the vast majority of those flying through Iceland aren’t doing a stopover. Also, while some tickets on Icelandair allow free stopovers, Play does not.

[@travelsofmunch1476]

The Arctic is inhabited with closely related people groups, but with few direct Arctic-to Arctic transport links, this is a huge step forward

[@malcolmround8064]

Not mentioned here but this flight is in partnership with Canadian North. Together passengers can get from Ottawa/Montreal and possibly as far away as Edmonton to Nuuk in one day! 💪🇨🇦🇬🇱

[@JohnSmith-mr8wc]

U must be dreaming

[@DanTheCaptain]

I had the privilege of living in Iqaluit for a year, actually working for the FBO at the airport. The place is like no other and feels like a different country to Canada. The people are amazing and are incredibly proud of their heritage and traditions! It’s amazing that they finally got this route back up and running again!

[@mpetrino7330]

Congratulations Air Greenland on your inaugural flights between Nuuk GOH Greenland and Iqaluit YFB Nunavut Canada. Each capital city with beautiful new Airport terminals and facilities. Possibly the greatest outcome of Air Greenland's plan to spread its service westward is the rejoining of many indigenous families separated by the Davis Strait. As a Canadian I had the privilege of traveling the Arctic for many years. It is a very special land Yellowknife to Iqaluit, everywhere in-between and now reconnection with Greenland. Extremely warm, welcoming and deeply proud people who all Canadians should take the time to experience.

[@avgeekinfotainment7776]

One should also point out that now it possible again after deacdes, to cross the pond on scheduled flights solely on prop planes😁. For those who are interested: Bergen-Vagar on Wideroe, Vagar-Keflavik and Keflavik-Nuuk on Icelandair and then obviously this one on Air Greenland to complete the run😎

[@timothyjoksch]

Munich - New York is now possible only on prop planes

[@zeytelaloi]

Would be cool if there could be a longer and more expensive but all-electric intercontinental route as well.

[@Squaretable22]

Iqaluit is on an island itself, is there any Prop flights from Iqaluit to the Canadian Mainland, especially a major Canadian city like Montreal, Toronto, Calgary or Vancouver?

[@JustSomeAussieGamer]

Imagine once Nuuk's runway is 2200m, they offer a stopover point for Canadian & US carriers operating from secondary airports into Europe with Low Fees. Could be the start of something great.

[@NOELTM]

Bravo Air Greenland - amazing to see the new terminal too!

[@GustavSvard]

2:47 I recognize her! Only Greenlandic youtuber I watch (so far) :)

[@NicolaW72]

Yes, I, too!😃 - Probably we will see a Video from her, too.

[@thomasgardner2594]

Yes! It’s qsgreenland

[@litoco]

Back in 1980s a Group of Nuuk businessmen operated a route Nuuk-Frobisher Bay (Iqaluit) for a short period. Among other things they imported fruit from California. I will never forget having af pineapple with champagne served at Hotel Godthaab.

[@jaxonmattox9267]

Not really the inaugural flight since this route already existed, but it is great to see Air Greenland expanding their service back to Canada Maybe someday they'll even bring back a flight to the US again (but not Baltimore preferably haha)

[@JohnSmith-mr8wc]

U must be joking

[@firstandlastname2390]

We need Toronto/Montreal to Nuuk ❤

[@JohnSmith-mr8wc]

U must be joking

[@kevinsbikingadventures278]

I first saw the coverage of this by QSGreenland, the only Greenlandic KZbinr I know of. It's nice to see another angle of her "takuss!" greeting at the end of every videos. 😀

[@stickynorth]

Very cool! As a Canadian I am very much looking forward to any future new routes between us here in the West and Greenland! Can't wait for the Nuuk runway expansion to finish. That's going to be the real game-changer for the island...

[@alexanderwest1064]

that's me @17:03 !! I was flown up by Canadian North at the last min to Mix that event due to there being no available local sound techs available, and this was my first time up north. The people wear great and friendly and I came at a time when the weather could not have been better. I would most defiantly do a event up there again in the future if asked.

[@TheAmtwhite]

If only was easier/more affordable for most Canadians to get to Iqaluit!

[@thomasfriedmann8522]

Good to see the flight resume, a great cultural opportunity. Also nice to see the crew having a chance to celebrate as well.

[@bolojungle1150]

Wow. Excellent. Wonderful (informative) coverage and I wish them all the best. Love the spirit. Great to see things start. We all can use a little optimism. Thanks for this, Gabriel.

[@NicolaW72]

Indeed.

[@Hexagonian]

The inuktitut language and alphabet is so fascinating. May these cultures grow and prosper

[@francistaylor5097]

This channel is my new Friday evening treat. So informative.

[@NicolaW72]

Thank you very much for picking this Story up!🙂👍🧡 - I wish Air Greenland the Best Luck that the route is now working for them and Many Happy Landings!✈🤗 - Also a great View of the new Terminal Building in Nuuk, definetely a huge Upgrade!👍

[@tyler2757]

Watching this from Kuujjuaq, QC, Canadian

[@citibear57]

Well done, Flightradar24 👍 Who else was surprised that Sam Chui was not on this inaugural flight?

[@redademe]

I am pleasantly surprised, this flight would have to stop to refuel to make the 500mi journey if he was onboard.

[@mrsiborg]

A really nice shiny new terminal and a stunningly beautiful aircraft.

[@Flightradar24DotCom]

Indeed it is!

[@dashcan8479]

Great video. Great flight and welcome to Canada's north

[@afcgeo882]

With this development I do wonder if the airline will be considering an upgrade to larger aircraft, perhaps the A220?

[@sushi777300]

I love content like this What a fabulous route ❤🇬🇱

[@miniena7774]

Nice. I'd love to visit Greenland one day.

[@Papershields001]

Instantly on my bucket list!

[@bruce8321]

This will be a whole new world in 25 years.

[@maccarr9923]

Dash 8 classic noises make me happy

[@Marcus935OS]

This video had me smiling throughout . . .

[@pagophilus]

I miss the old First Air 727 between Kangerlussuaq and Iqaluit. Made a wonderful noise when taking off at Kangerlussuaq with the engine noise reverberating off the fjord.

[@eatonjask]

Exactly. That isn't the first time for commercial flights from Greenland to Iqaluit

[@Dan-xo9ly]

Super cool seeing the Classic Dash with EFIS engine screens. The ones I flew had the steam gauges. Must be nice!

[@bandck8752]

Good video, cool that they gave out Nunavut Flags as well

[@Astr0b0y8]

I'd love to visit Greenland!

[@johncassels3475]

Thanks Gabe for keeping your promise to cover this inaugural flight to Canada. Much appreciated! Next request is for you to return to Nuuk in the fall/autumn to cover the full opening of the expanded Nuuk airport - preferably on an A330! 🙂

[@erik_griswold]

Thanks for the behind-the-scenes on “Q’s Greenland” ‘s videos.

[@roachtoasties]

Maybe one of these days I'll be able to take a Iqaluit / Nuuk adventure.

[@BH6242KCh]

"Fly Air Greenland.... where we Nuuk the competition"

[@rodrigoalmanza66]

Congratulations 🇨🇦

[@MongoTV]

Nice video. Thanks. I am from Denmark, i should visit Nuuk city in Greenland Grønland one day, and try this flight to Canada :-)

[@carolinecoward469]

Did you get to meet Qupanuk Olsen? She is Greenland's biggest content creator on social media and biggest ambassador.

[@aerynrowe5574]

Spotted her in the video! She's great

[@jimmyryan5880]

I have a feeling they will be shocked at the number of vistors once that runway opens. A LOT of people would love to see greenland

[@neilgandhi5565]

Another great vlog Gabriel and Sooper Jealous you are getting these trips to Greenland 🇬🇱 as would love to visit here someday but keep up these great vlogs 😊😊😊

[@Flightradar24DotCom]

Thank you!

[@halitosis75]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ loving your air Greenland/ Greenland series. Thank you from Australia 🇦🇺 ❤❤❤

[@janellek21]

Once Nuuk's runway extension is complete Air Greenland should pick up 3-4 A321NEO or B737 MAX 9 and begin service to North America. The runway extension will allow it to get rid of the too large and un-economical A330 and eliminate the Kangerlussuaq stopover, and allow it to focus on connecting Europe and North America through Greenland's largest city. They could serve YYZ, YUL, BOS, JFK and maybe ORD, IAD and MCO and connect them with CPH, BLL, OSL, ARN, LGW/LHR, MAN, GLA and maybe CDG.

[@kaelon9170]

Air Greenland took their A330neo into service in December 2022, so I think it's very unlikely they're going to be retiring it anytime soon. Most likely the A330neo will do the Nuuk - Copenhagen flights, perhaps another destination as well if Air Greenland can find enough demand for it.

[@Flightradar24DotCom]

They easily fill the A330 to/from Copenhagen year round. Cargo being a major factor as well. But you’re right a 321neo for North America routes could definitely happen. Here’s hoping it does! However using Nuuk as a connecting hub is quite unlikely as the weather is so unreliable.

[@dmitripogosian5084]

I don't see why would you go via Nuuk from East coast, especially to LHR or CDG. Connection from West/Central parts make more sense, but then you directly compete with Iceland Air and what would be Nuuk advantage ?

[@janellek21]

@@dmitripogosian5084 Lower cost. Greenlandair would offer more of a LCC product and be a cheaper alternative to Icelandair.

[@liebnhaider]

Great addition for greenland connections and again a masterclass production by Gabe. Gives me lowkey wideroe vibes ❤

[@larsrosing5033]

Airgreenland and their 110db anounciation chime! They've always had that! 😊

[@Colinpark]

Great to see such investments. I hope everything goes well.

[@rogerhiggs3495]

Superb video, as usual, thanks Gabe.

[@Flightradar24DotCom]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@AZqyc]

Nice job!! Really enjoyed tagging along on your trip! That new terminal looks great!!

[@RedspringsRunner]

You have one of the coolest jobs in the world✌️🤙

[@jfmezei]

uqaluit-Nuuk operated between 1981 and 1994 regularly with a joint First Air (Bradley air service( and Air Greenland. This new flight is joint between Air Grrenland and Canadian North which is born of morger between Canadaian North (ex CP Canadian Airlines( and First air (Bradley air servixes). Bradley used to do the remorte routes on smaller plane and competed against Ken Borek but I tink they now conrtarct with Ken Borek t run those routes (for insnce First Air/Canadian north flight between Resolute and Grise Fielrd is operated by Ken Borek Air( but tickest sold by Canadian North). Good the see the flight back. Wonder if here would be cargo between the two cities to helop support the fligt Iqlauit gets resupplied from Monreal and Ottawa mostly). This also provides Nuuk with access to North America via the Iqaluit to south jet services.

[@ytzpilot]

I was surprised they weren’t using a 737 Combi on this route but maybe in the future as demand increases, the new airport in Nuuk will serve them very well

[@kaelon9170]

@@ytzpilot Nuuk airport's runway is too short for a 737. The Dash 8 is the largest aircraft that can operate into and out of Nuuk. Nuuk's runway is being extended from its current 3117ft to 7217ft, but that work hasn't been completed yet. Once it has been completed, flying 737 or a320 family aircraft into Nuuk will become a possibility.

[@Flightradar24DotCom]

Yes it sounds like Canadian north would love to put the 737 on the route when it’s possible. Whether demand will allow it is another question! Hopefully!

[@bousoucy]

Back in the 90s, I remembered working the Iqaluit - Nuuk flights or the Iqaluit-Kangerlussuaq-Copenhagen while being a FA for First Air. Greenland is such a beautiful place!

[@larswillsen]

Definitely going to try that route :)

[@ScottishT]

Brilliant as always buddy, hopefully you saw @WorldwideDom in your travels, he was there too 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@halina8369]

Wow. ✈️ Thank you. 💐 .

[@manathandelchamberling1926]

You can see the full runway extension at 8:13

[@roderickcampbell2105]

Best wishes. Great looking new terminal. Congrats to Air Greenland.

[@sridharbhaskar6360]

All the best from Kerala,.. God's own Country (COK)

[@davewong4834]

So exciting!

[@paulor9577]

Awesome! Love the video! Good editing and soundtracks!

[@mdumaresque]

I love it! I will take part in this flight as soon as I can

[@EnzotheAvgeek]

i love flightradar

[@Honest300Al]

Another great video. Informative and entertaining. Thanks.

[@Treetopflyer777]

Very cool. Maybe Nuuk will become an ETOPS alternate in the future. Any issues with flying the dash that far over the ocean ? Do they have to do anything special?

[@randallgvideos]

Immigration comes for you at the Vagar airport in the Faroe Islands. Most flights are Schengen but approx one per day is from the UK.

[@eatonjask]

Great news about Air Greenland and it's first flights to Iqaluit. But..... There's are hardly the first flights between Greenland and Iqaluit, as this was a commercial route for some years in the 1990s. The previous version even saw refugee claimants flying to Canada on it.

[@mijas-rus2715]

Amazing! Certainly the one for the bucket list :)

[@ThruAWiderLens]

3:10 The song is beautiful!!!

[@ryanm7171]

You seemed very lucky to be part of this inaugural flight. I would have liked to see a little more commentary on how the flight as a passenger actually was. Maybe next time. Do you know what other cities in Canada are they considering expanding to in the future? I hope you enjoyed the bbq afterwards.

[@wintersnowowen2254]

Beautiful terminal in Nuuk!

[@djwillis470]

I was in Iqaluit briefly on this day. My plane is barely visible in one of your shots. The fuel guy at the FBO was telling me that I could now fly to Greenland on that plane. Didn't realize it was the inaugural flight.

[@BlacqueJacqueShellacque_]

Sweet. I have both Iqaluit and Nuuk on my travel list. Maybe I could knock out both on a single journey!

[@marcusd4366]

I love the Dash8!

[@mysoneffa2417]

Don't forget to mention it's 🍁 Canadian made Dash8 plane 🛩.

[@tedsmart5539]

What a flight crew!

[@erik_griswold]

Nuuk Airport is open. You used it to leave from and you apparently used the old terminals’s ramp. It’s getting a new terminal and a lengthened runway so that the largest settlement in Greenland can have service by something other than a Dash 8.

[@jeremythebeer8609]

I love the clapping.

[@os4908]

Thank you

[@Meechooilka]

A. I believe there was another, a Canadian airline that used to fly this route within the last 10 years. It was on a very small aircraft, a Beechcraft 1900 maybe. I think it might also have been around 2014. B. Unless it is heavily subsidised by the Canadian and Danish/Greenlandic government, this route is never going to be profitable for one simple reason. Iqaluit is a dead end of dead ends. There is nothing there, and it is very difficult and prohibitively expensive to get anywhere else from Iqaluit. If Air Greenland wants to expand into Canada, they gotta choose an airport served by AirCanada at the very least and start heavily marketing the "stopover and visit" strategy. But, of course, Air Greenöand doesn't have the fleet for this.

[@scottcarter6623]

I wonder where they would expand to into Canada. Not a lot of airports real close. I guess Goose bay, Gander or Halifax would be the most likely destinations.

[@michaelosgood9876]

Hope the Greenland infrastructure can stand up to the planned increase of tourism-- particularly the accommodation side of it...

[@narutouusi-maki8483]

at iqaluit - frobisher bay the airport was built before the village was. It was founded in 1942 by the american air force and only opened up to Canadians after the war. the americans operated a DEW line radar station there for many years.

[@jsvno]

What about Buffalo airways operation with the 737-200? Gravel kit on that one, or other vintage transport into the wilderness of Canada?

[@flyovercounty1427]

Hello from 🇨🇦

[@mrkc10]

Cool video

[@Flightradar24DotCom]

Thanks!

[@treksevestro]

Pleasing progress in future connectivity of neighbours.

[@samuelscheffer3178]

Though not having to transit through SFJ will remove some of the charm to come to Greenland! I would love to see the new terminal in Nuuk for myself sometime soon!

[@tomdchi12]

Cool to see construction at Qaqortoq showing up on Google Earth.

[@michaeltizard7334]

love how the 738 turned into a 767.

[@chrispowell5879]

Very interesting! If this works, it would connect all of North and South America to Greenland through Iqaluit without having to go through Copenhagen or Keflavik. But does Greenland want more tourism or would it prefer to be left alone?

[@Eurobazz]

Iceland IS in the Schengen area.

[@okcantbelieveit294]

The public have to support this new service otherwise it’ll disappear!

[@grillmaster0150]

The airport bus looks like it has served in Copenhagen before

[@cherylsemrau7100]

Congratulations.

[@Subie-Driver]

Great. Now your connection from Iqaluit to anywhere else in Canada is going to cost a fortune. Flights in the north are wickedly expensive.

[@scandinavianaviator8141]

I might add that we have charter flights from Narsarsuaq every 14 days to Goose Bay Canada, on Provincial Airlines Dash-8-Q400 And Nolinor will fly a series of Cruise Ship Charters in August/September from Montreal on the B737-200/300. So the Nuuk route isn`t the only game in town, regarding links to Canada ;)

[@afcgeo882]

It is for scheduled service.

[@PiccadillyAvenue]

Interesting. First I've heard of this service and I worked in the Canadian Arctic -- as a geologist -- over a period of 35 years. I have not seen mention of this inaugural flight in the Canadian press. What was the date of the flight, what frequency is contemplated, will Air Greenland be sole operator, what's the air fare? I fervently hope the service will prove to be viable.

[@ngwoo]

Only natural that this route would be attempted again now that the brutal border war is over!