Nuuk, Greenland (GOH), has been getting quite a bit of attention in recent times, especially with the airport having recently expanded. This allows for more international flights, including United’s seasonal flight from Newark (EWR).
However, something strange is going on, as flagged by JonNYC — effective tomorrow, the airport can’t accommodate departing international flights, and it’s anyone’s guess when these flights will be able to resume.
In this post:
International flights paused at Nuuk Airport
The Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority has announced that as of Wednesday, August 27, 2025, Nuuk Airport can no longer accommodate international departures, until further notice. As a result, it’s currently only possible to fly from this airport to other destinations in Greenland.
As you’d expect, this is having immediate impacts on airlines. United’s flight from Newark to Nuuk today ended up returning to Newark after takeoff.
You have to give United credit for its transparency in sharing the reasons for operational issues. As United explains it, this is because “Nuuk Airport has temporarily suspended all international flights, affecting all airlines.”
It sounds like this flight could’ve still landed in Nuuk today, but with the return flight scheduled for tomorrow, United understandably didn’t want to potentially strand a crew and passengers there.
What’s causing these issues? According to Greenland Airports, the suspension is because Danish authorities have decided that the training of staff for screening international travelers doesn’t meet standard requirements. So the airport still has its domestic safety certification, but international flights require different standards.
The airport authority is now working with regulators to address the specific concerns that have been identified, and the goal is to resume normal operations as soon as possible. However, it’s anyone’s guess how big of a project this will be… are we talking hours, days, weeks, or…?
The expectation is that Air Greenland’s international flights will route via Kangerlussuaq (SFJ) or Narsarsuaq (UAK), as the lack of certification is specific to this airport. One certainly wonders what exactly went wrong. Was there an audit that was failed, or is there more to this?
A few weeks ago, the airport made headlines because flights were delayed due to security staff going deer hunting rather than showing up for work. It’s not clear if that’s one of the factors that triggered this issue. While that makes a great story, you wouldn’t think that makes the airport unsafe, since people just couldn’t enter the secure area of the terminal when there weren’t enough staff.
This isn’t the first time something like this has happened
Here’s what I find fascinating. Almost a year ago to the date, Nuuk Airport also wasn’t able to screen outbound international passengers. This was seemingly for the same general reason — international flight authorization was yanked from the airport.
The explanation was that the airport didn’t meet “the necessary high level of security in the security area,” and “as airport security involves a high level of confidentiality, we cannot go into detail about which security measures are currently lacking.”
At the time, it seemed like that had more to do with some sort of a technicality, given that the airport was only newly accepting international flights. For example, a traveler who arrived on an international charter flight at the airport shortly before that last suspension wrote the following about the arrival experience:
“I didn’t show my passport to anyone. We went from the plane to the taxi. No one pointed us where to go and the hallway and doors seemed open. Maybe they forgot to direct us. I will happily get my passport stamped!”
So it’s anyone’s guess if the issue this year is the same as the issue last year, or what…
Bottom line
Nuuk Airport has temporarily had its international flight authorization revoked, due to some sort of a concern with security screening. The Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority is reportedly behind this decision, and this came so suddenly that United’s Nuuk-bound flight even returned to Newark.
It’s not often you see something like this happen, so I’m curious for how long this persists. It seems like some flights may just start routing through Kangerlussuaq so that passengers can be screened, but who knows…
What do you make of this situation at Nuuk Airport?
How are they that bad at running an airport?? What a mess
Going hunting instead of showing up for work. Natives go'n native!
No worries. Once Trump takes over Greenland, that airport will have hundreds of TSA agents. LOL
But only 1 scanner working at peak hours.
Long lines are because of TSA staffing not mismanagement.
I beg everybody here to collectively ignore Tim Dunn's posts and just let him be. He claims that the reason why he keeps posting here is because others are obsessed with him. I am not convinced if would work, but it's worth a shot. I usually don't respond his posts, since I know very well where his loyalty lies.
thank you.
remember that I have also said I would give up ragging on United if UA execs can get through a quarterly earnings call w/o comparing United to another airline - notably all of those that don't have it together (everyone except DL and UA in their minds) and DL who UA thinks it is in DL's class.
I don't think either is going to happen - UA execs will get rid of their...
thank you.
remember that I have also said I would give up ragging on United if UA execs can get through a quarterly earnings call w/o comparing United to another airline - notably all of those that don't have it together (everyone except DL and UA in their minds) and DL who UA thinks it is in DL's class.
I don't think either is going to happen - UA execs will get rid of their inferiority complex or UA fans that get so wound up about anything remotely negative said about their mother, AKA corporate soul mate.
The whole airport operation at Nuuk almost seems amateur. From the unscheduled closing so we can all go hunting to this happening twice.
United's claim to fame and the favorite UA employee destination got wiped off the map? color me shocked.
maybe UA can use that plane to grow its presence in any one of scores of US cities where it isn't number one or two or even three
Hahahaha, what a loser.
and you are on the seat of your pants for every word I write - which makes it no surprise I keep it up
It's true people are bizarrely obsessed.
This is an objectively bad thing for UA's Nuuk flight.
Is that the real reason why you keep up with your posts, Tim?
Here we are almost at the end of 2025 and people still reply to Tim as if he was a sane, rational individual. Give it up. He can’t control his mental issues. His condition is immediately triggered by the simple mention of UA or DL. Just let him talk to himself and let his wife help him.
You act like you are somehow different or better, yet here you are also replying to him.
They’re canceling a few flights due to circumstances beyond their control and that means the destination is wiped off the map? lol
Remember, UA outperforms DL in airline revenue and profits from airline operations. They also financially outperform DL in NYC, as seen in the huge revenue UA pulls in, relative to DL.
DL is trying to expand beyond their profitable fortress hubs in SEA and AUS, where they are underperforming the rest of...
They’re canceling a few flights due to circumstances beyond their control and that means the destination is wiped off the map? lol
Remember, UA outperforms DL in airline revenue and profits from airline operations. They also financially outperform DL in NYC, as seen in the huge revenue UA pulls in, relative to DL.
DL is trying to expand beyond their profitable fortress hubs in SEA and AUS, where they are underperforming the rest of the network and trailing strong number one carriers in those markets.
That’s why they’re adding LAX-HKG and LAX-ORD, places they’ll surely lose money but are trying to catch up to UA in network. And their RJ expansion in AUS will have very similar results.
Thank you, at least, for not bringing up another irrelevant comparison to Pan Am.
it is YOU, Mark, that keeps me coming back.
YOU are incapable of admitting that someone else does better than UA.
UA agreed to play by the same business plan as DL and yet UA underperforms DL in total revenue including credit card revenue.
UA flies 10% more ASMs than DL and yet it comes nowhere near generating even close to 10% more even passenger revenue than DL.
DL made 10X more money flying the...
it is YOU, Mark, that keeps me coming back.
YOU are incapable of admitting that someone else does better than UA.
UA agreed to play by the same business plan as DL and yet UA underperforms DL in total revenue including credit card revenue.
UA flies 10% more ASMs than DL and yet it comes nowhere near generating even close to 10% more even passenger revenue than DL.
DL made 10X more money flying the Pacific than UA did over the past 10 years, Mark.
Don't talk to any of us about how great UA does on the Pacific or anywhere else.
DL has built 2 new hubs over the past 10 years.
UA has SHRUNK its highest revenue hub, EWR. Get back w/ us with total revenue generated at NYC when that data is available AFTER June 2025, Mark.
Tell us the number of airports other than IAH in TX where UA is the #2 airline. I'll be waiting.
Yes, Pan Am was fixated on its global position and yet not only didn't generate anywhere close to class-leading profits but also neglected the things that matter including their domestic system.
AA and DL both generate far more domestic revenue than UA and yet people like you think that Nuuk is some indication of UA's superiority.
and thank you for acknowledging that DL's SEA and AUS hubs are profitable.
Tim, you don’t have to go anywhere. Your obsessions and baseless claims make you look foolish, but if you don’t see that none of us will convince you otherwise.
DL’s Pacific yields declined in Q2, UA’s did not.
UA will surely close the credit card revenue gap with their next Chase negotiations. They created the innovative Kinnective Media to ensure that.
UA’s EWR hub still has almost 400 flights a day with...
Tim, you don’t have to go anywhere. Your obsessions and baseless claims make you look foolish, but if you don’t see that none of us will convince you otherwise.
DL’s Pacific yields declined in Q2, UA’s did not.
UA will surely close the credit card revenue gap with their next Chase negotiations. They created the innovative Kinnective Media to ensure that.
UA’s EWR hub still has almost 400 flights a day with nearly 50 widebody departures. They have the efficiencies of a single hub, without relying on the RJ heavy LGA operation that is constrained by a perimeter rule. DL underperforms UA in NYC revenue, even with the May cancellations. Plus, that short term pain has leveled the NYC playing field long term, giving UA what they have wanted for so many years: slot constraints DL has enjoyed at JFK and LGA.
UA makes more revenue and profits from airline operations than DL. They have stronger hubs with more premium demand, sustaining UA’s larger premium cabins that will grow in size.
DL added SEA, but it’s an underperforming hub that has them reacting to AS by adding routes in response to them rather than leading the way. Plus, DL is adding HKG from LAX instead of SEA, where they would have been the only carrier on the route, tacitly admitting SEA has severe limits on what it will accomplish.
And the RJ heavy focus city in AUS, where they will soon be up against 200+ daily WN flights? That’s your hope for Texas?
And you’re comparing the PA domestic system to UA’s domestic system, where UA has almost 600 departures from DEN and ORD, 500+ from IAH, almost 400 from EWR, 300-ish from SFO and IAD, and 140 from LAX? All with 500 narrowbody mainline planes joining the fleet?
There are valid points you could make, but you sound ridiculous when you say that.
Mark,
we aren't talking about the future. I can't model it and neither can you.
Right now, DL leads in total revenue using the SAME business model that UA uses. You cannot just carve out credit card revenue because UA underperforms.
Doesn't matter how big UA is in ORD or IAH or anywhere else. THE SUM TOTAL of UA's domestic network trails AA and DL by a significant amount. and DL IS adding domestic...
Mark,
we aren't talking about the future. I can't model it and neither can you.
Right now, DL leads in total revenue using the SAME business model that UA uses. You cannot just carve out credit card revenue because UA underperforms.
Doesn't matter how big UA is in ORD or IAH or anywhere else. THE SUM TOTAL of UA's domestic network trails AA and DL by a significant amount. and DL IS adding domestic capacity as fast or faster than UA - which is precisely what I said would be the case. DL is NOT giving up its domestic position or any of it to UA.
If DL is saddled by such underperforming hubs like SEA as you think, then how come DL can still manage to make more revenue and profit than UA? Why can't you admit that UA has a significant amount of underperformance on UA's system - like 60% LFs to HKG, which is precisely why DL jumped in there to force UA to decide how much money UA wants to lose.
You might recall that UA dumped capacity into LAX-LHR when DL started that route on its own metal and then pulled one of them after DL pulled its metal. You don't suppose that this is a bit of karma, do you?
DL will continue to grow in the Pacific because it is now quite profitable - but UA STILL has made 1/10 of what DL has made across the Pacific over the past 10 years.
When you get through your thick head that AA, DL, UA and the whole lot are for-profit companies and maximizing returns to their owners is their FIRST responsibility. Flying to Nuuk, size in the Pacific or anywhere else simply does not matter if UA trails at the ONE THING it is supposed to be most focused on.
we could go on and on.
When you and others can simply admit the reality as it exists and not try to manipulate facts and cherrypick data to admit that UA really is not the end all and be all in everything.
UA does a good job w/ some things. DL does a good job with others - and the best job of US airlines at some things.
The sooner you can admit that and write it, the sooner things will take a different tact on here.
But in your opinion Tim, what should have Pan Am "focus most on the things that actually matter"?
I love that Mark is absolutely PANTSING lil Timmy these days
Mark is pantsing anything.
He is in full-scale lie and deflect mode because he can't admit that in the domestic marketplace, which is the largest for every US airline, UA trails AA and DL in domestic revenue by billions of dollars per year.
and I'm still waiting for a list of cities in Texas or most of the rest of the US other than UA's hubs where it is the #1 or #2 airline.
and,...
Mark is pantsing anything.
He is in full-scale lie and deflect mode because he can't admit that in the domestic marketplace, which is the largest for every US airline, UA trails AA and DL in domestic revenue by billions of dollars per year.
and I'm still waiting for a list of cities in Texas or most of the rest of the US other than UA's hubs where it is the #1 or #2 airline.
and, if the Pacific is profitable for UA, then it will be even more so for DL and will be stepping up its growth over the Pacific even more over the next 5 years.
and it sounds like DL is about ready to announce a pretty significant round of new flights to Europe and Saudi Arabia and India might be back on the route map - with a good chunk of those flights coming from NYC.
UA's revenue advantage - if it even exists anymore continues to shrink. When your competitor flies 30% more flights than you do, it isn't hard to see how UA's revenue advantage is falling.
eskimo,
build a domestic system instead of fixating on "sexy" international destinations.
The simple reason is that UA was so convinced that flying airplanes all over the world was more important than serving domestic markets and THAT is why they don't have a credit card contract that is anywhere close to what DL has or even what AA now has.
and, far all the talk about how big UA is in the Pacific, it...
eskimo,
build a domestic system instead of fixating on "sexy" international destinations.
The simple reason is that UA was so convinced that flying airplanes all over the world was more important than serving domestic markets and THAT is why they don't have a credit card contract that is anywhere close to what DL has or even what AA now has.
and, far all the talk about how big UA is in the Pacific, it has operated its Pacific network for the past 10 years basically at breakeven margins. 2015 was a good year in profits and then they went until 2023 before profits began to return - and those profits still trail DL on a profit per ASM basis.
quite simply, if UA was much more focused on maximizing profit instead of creating a sexy route system, they might succeed at the stuff that matters - including better compensating their employees and being able to afford to give better service.
Tim, though DL might have to choose between focusing on profits versus creating a “sexy” route network, UA does not have to choose.
UA makes more money from airline operations while overtaking DL in airline revenue. They’ve widened their lead across the Atlantic and the Pacific while strengthening all of their domestic hubs significantly.
UA has no need to choose between a fascinating route network, something we as aviation enthusiasts should all enjoy,...
Tim, though DL might have to choose between focusing on profits versus creating a “sexy” route network, UA does not have to choose.
UA makes more money from airline operations while overtaking DL in airline revenue. They’ve widened their lead across the Atlantic and the Pacific while strengthening all of their domestic hubs significantly.
UA has no need to choose between a fascinating route network, something we as aviation enthusiasts should all enjoy, and profits. Their financial results, impressive international network, and huge domestic growth are all testaments towards this.
The next few years and hundreds of aircraft deliveries will be very exciting to watch. The enhanced credit card revenue won’t be as exciting as the global and domestic route networks, but it is coming and will still serve to further grow UA’s lead.
Meanwhile, we’ll watch DL add some RJ routes to AUS while cutting others, while we also watch DL let AS determine their SEA strategy.
I was going to say, similar to your comment from the Charter of last year, I was on a *scheduled* flight to Nuuk last year from Iqaluit on Air Greenland. No one asked to see passports or anything and my experience was exactly the same. Went straight to taxis no customs or anything.
I left Greenland that trip on Icelandair and we had to make an unscheduled stop in KUS due to the security situation...
I was going to say, similar to your comment from the Charter of last year, I was on a *scheduled* flight to Nuuk last year from Iqaluit on Air Greenland. No one asked to see passports or anything and my experience was exactly the same. Went straight to taxis no customs or anything.
I left Greenland that trip on Icelandair and we had to make an unscheduled stop in KUS due to the security situation there. But when I arrived in KEF, still no stamp. So I basically had entered Europe and the Schengen zone without actually ever going through customs control, it was wild!
Oh no, that idiot from LAX might think Greenland would need to hunt more reindeer or be starved to death.