Greenland Airports

Ilulissat and Sisimiut are tiny airports. Very tiny airports. Their runways are so short, in fact, that large jets can’t even land here—the airports are only suitable for small regional aircraft. Sisimiut is part of a settlement so small that it has no roads connecting it to any other Greenlandic town before the 1990s, it was served only by a heliport. But Ilulissat is still the island’s largest and most hospitable center for tourists, which is why this terminal and airfield are being relocated and built anew—to expand that runway, making it possible for larger international aircraft to gain easier access to the country.

Passengers flying in and out are treated to a front-row seat for the astonishing Arctic landscapes as they land or depart—including the famous Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ilulissat means “icebergs” in Greenlandic (Kalaallisut), so it’s appropriate that the town start living up to its name well before you touch down. Upon approach, enormous, majestic bergs, glaciers, and endless blocks of large reflective ice reveal themselves, leaving you to wonder how such a stunning, untouched place even exists…and, perhaps, what on earth you’re doing there.

Flights to Greenland are rarely taken on a whim, so visitors are likely aware that they’ve signed up to arrive at the edge of the world. Regardless, no need for in-flight entertainment, given the scenic tour that’s offered from the comfort of your seat. This gift of proximity to the Arctic, however, means the airports are staffed with “polar bear patrols”—groups of individuals responsible for making sure no furry gatecrashers interrupt your flight path.

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