The Danish Transport Authority has officially approved a new 2,200-metre runway in Greenland's capital, Nuuk.
Marking a significant milestone for the region's aviation infrastructure, the first departure from the newly constructed airport was an Air Greenland De Havilland Dash-8 aircraft heading to Paamiut on November 28, 2024.
In recent months, all safety conditions around the new runway have been reviewed by the Danish Transport Authority's inspection teams before they have been able to approve that the airport can open for air traffic with larger aircraft such as Air Greenland's A330.
As one of the final steps in the approval process, the Danish Transport Authority carried out a number of test flights of the runway on November 27, 2024.
Head of division at the Danish Transport Agency, Henrik Ellermann commented: "We have approved that safety is in order around the new 2,200-metre-long runway.
Approval has been granted on a number of conditions that reflect the fact that the airport is in a start-up phase, where some extraordinary measures and restrictions are necessary until the airport is fully in place with all the new procedures and facilities."
This means that it will require extra safety procedures in bad weather and that the runway must be cleared of snow and ice around the clock, so that the friction on the asphalt is optimal.
Ellermann added: “Another condition is that the airspace over the airport may only be used by the aircraft that are already flying in Greenland, such as Air Greenland and Icelandair."
This development is expected to enhance connectivity and bolster economic growth in Greenland.