Greenland has seen a significant increase in air service in recent times, thanks in large part to the opening of the expanded Nuuk Airport (GOH), allowing jet service to Greenland’s capital. This improved facility, along with the general desire for unique travel experience, has caused airlines like United to add service to the territory.
Continue reading: Nuuk Airport Imposes Low Flight Cap, Causing Mess For Air Greenland
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Wow, what a mess that seems to be continuing since the expansion of NUK. I am sure Air Greenland must be cursing the closure of Kangerlussaq and forced to move to such a messy airport....
Wikipedia says Air Greenland also has 18 helicopters, for domestic service to "villages." Seven of these carry 12 passengers, and 2 can carry up to 19, although they are usually configured as air ambulances for search and rescue. If those flights are counted in the hourly limits, I can see where connections are being spread too thin.
Oh ho! Maybe joining a dysfunctional fascist state is looking a little more attractive - our freedom would let these people pop off a new flight operation every 2 minutes if they want.
I spent a number of years working at a remote airport, and the lack of diversionary airports was a big driver for us on a cap like this. Weather issues, ground emergencies, runway maintenance issues… and plenty of other things could immediately result in a closure.
They want the right type of people to visit. Limit quantity not quality ($).
There is not much in Nuuk anyway, the best stuff is up north and down south - where you can fly into directly from Iceland anyway.
You can?
As I understand it, the only airport with routinely-staffed immigration facilities is Nuuk. Even Kangerlussuaq is now only open for international arrivals as a last resort; Air Greenland's jet will return to Copenhagen in preference to landing in Kangerlussuaq. And Greenland isn't in Schengen.
I had not heard about direct flights from Iceland to other towns. Where do they fly? Who flies there? How do they do immigration?
There literally is no airport in the world with the code NUK.
GOH would be the code for Nuuk airport.
I'm afraid your understanding is wrong - Icelandair flies summer seasonally to Ilulissat, Kulusuk & Narsarsuaq from Keflavik. Norlandair flies from Reykavik to Nerlerit Inaat year round (the only link), and lastly Jettime on behalf of Air Greenland have a slightly patchy but mostly about 2 times a week flight from Copenhagen to Kangerlussaq, continuing to Nuuk - though I'm not aware if these passengers clear in Kangerlussaq, or only those disembarking. In winter, they probably do only bother to staff Nuuk (and Nelerit Inaat) however.
Kangerlussaq is still open and gets flights from Copenhagen in summer, as well as domestic Greenland flights year round, being the normal alternative for flights that can't land at Nuuk.
No hat tip? 😉
I suspect that this is driven by the fact that GOH is not controlled by a tower - it is a Flight Information Center and the Danes don't like "busy" airspace relying on advisory services only.
https://www.naviair.dk/air-traffic-control/nuuk-fic
Understood that Nuuk is definitely more remote than most airports, but Kangerlussuaq is not far away
You can fly to Ilulissat and Narsarsuaq directly from Iceland (and redeem AS miles)
There is no immigration on these flights.
There is no need to fly via Nuuk
Those flights are essential to transport during the coldest of the winter months. Some villages are super small and super remote, don't have icebreakers providing ferry service during the coldest months and don't have overland roads connecting them to major population centers.
Makes sense to restrict passenger service to allow for all the C17 and F35 landings coming up soon.
Oh, Nuuk....
Workshy workers, rampant reindeer, shoddy 'security'. If airports were people, Nuuk would be a bipolar and schizophrenic, pimple-faced teen with attitude problems.
It’s normally the local police authority who conducts the Passport checks, sometimes assisted by one or more customs and border control officers
We had the last scheduled Icelandair flight of the summer season out of Narsarsuaq today, operated by a Boeing 757, probably the last time we Will see one of these beauties :/
Watching Scandis so confidently and rather condescendingly correct people incorrectly in situations where the original meaning was also completely obvious is one of my favourite past-times, and I say this as a Scandi.