This is a list of airports in Greenland, grouped by type and sorted by location. Air travel is extremely important in Greenland, since there are generally no roads between settlements. Arctic Umiaq Line provides passenger and freight services by sea but is limited to the southwest coast and travel time is long and departures sparse.
History
The first airports in Greenland were built by and for the United States defense. The first and largest was Kangerlussuaq Airport in 1941, followed by Narsarsuaq Airport in 1942 (and now-abandoned USAAF airfields Bluie East Two and Marrak Point, both in 1942) and Pituffik Space Base in 1953 (although Pituffik is not operated as a civilian airport) and Kulusuk Airport in 1956. Due to their distance from major settlements, these were not initially used for civilian travel. In the early 1960s, Greenlandair was founded, commencing civilian flights between the air bases, and helicopter and sea plane flights to large settlements. SAS operated the connection from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq, beginning in 1954 as a fuel stop en route to United States, which was later taken over in 2000 by Greenlandair (today called Air Greenland].
Beginning with Nuuk Airport in 1979 and Ilulissat Airport in 1983, several airports with short runways were built.
In 2025, Nuuk International Airport and, in 2026, Ilulissat International Airport, each equipped with 2,200-meter runways, will assume the role formerly held by Kangerlussuaq Airport as Greenland’s primary hubs for transatlantic and international air traffic with by among Air Greenlands new Airbus A330neo and A320neo. These airports will facilitate direct intercontinental connections between Europe, Greenland, and the rest of North America, with the potential for future intercontinental routes to Asia, including stopovers that may support tourism and local connectivity within the country.
Airports
Many locations in Greenland have Danish names in addition to their Greenlandic names. The Danish name, where applicable, is shown in italics. Airport or heliport names shown in bold indicate the facility has scheduled passenger service on a commercial airline.
Several of the airports do not have road connection with the local major settlement, so a helicopter transfer is often needed by most passengers to some airports. Airports with a very small population reachable by road include Kangerlussuaq Airport, Kulusuk Airport, Nerlerit Inaat Airport and Qaarsut Airport. 13 civil airports (not Pituffik Space Base) and 47 helipads in Greenland are operated by the state-owned enterprise Greenland Airport Authority (Mittarfeqarfiit).
Aerodromes The following 14 airports are listed under AD 2 AERODROMES at Naviair.
Location served Municipality ICAO IATA Airport name Reference Aasiaat (Egedesminde) Qeqertalik BGAA JEG Aasiaat Airport Ilulissat (Jakobshavn) Avannaata BGJN JAV Ilulissat Airport Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresbysund) Sermersooq BGCO CNP Nerlerit Inaat Airport (Constable Pynt Airport) Kangerlussuaq (Søndre Strømfjord) Qeqqata BGSF SFJ Kangerlussuaq Airport (Sondrestrom Air Base) Kulusuk Sermersooq BGKK KUS Kulusuk Airport Maniitsoq (Sukkertoppen) Qeqqata BGMQ JSU Maniitsoq Airport Nuuk (Godthåb) Sermersooq BGGH GOH Nuuk Airport Paamiut (Frederikshåb) Sermersooq BGPT JFR Paamiut Airport Pituffik – BGTL THU Pituffik Space Base Greenland AIP for BGTL – Thule Air Base from Naviair Qaanaaq Avannaata BGQQ NAQ Qaanaaq Airport Qaarsut / Uummannaq Avannaata BGUQ JQA Qaarsut Airport (Uummannaq Airport) Qaqortoq (Julianehåb) Kujalleq BGQO JJU Qaqortoq Airport Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg) Qeqqata BGSS JHS Sisimiut Airport Upernavik Avannaata BGUK JUV Upernavik Airport
The following aerodromes also exist. They have no scheduled flights. Location served Municipality ICAO IATA Airport name Daneborg Northeast Greenland National Park BGDB Daneborg Airport Danmarkshavn Northeast Greenland National Park BGDH Danmarkshavn Airport Station Nord Northeast Greenland National Park BGNO Nord Station EastGRIP Northeast Greenland National Park EastGRIP Summit Camp Northeast Greenland National Park Summit Station Mestersvig Northeast Greenland National Park BGMV Mestersvig Airport
Not included and not open for flights anymore are the former United States Army Air Forces bases of Bluie East Two and Marrak Point.
Heliports
The following 47 heliports are listed under AD 4 HELIPORTS at Naviair.AD 4 HELIPORTS Location served Municipality ICAO IATA Airport name Reference Aappilattoq Kujalleq BGAQ QUV Aappilattoq Heliport (Kujalleq) Aappilattoq Avannaata BGAG AOQ Aappilattoq Heliport (Avannaata)(non-IATA identifier: AAP) Akunnaaq Qeqertalik BGAK Akunnaaq Heliport Alluitsup Paa (Sydprøven) Kujalleq BGAP LLU Alluitsup Paa Heliport Ammassivik (Sletten) Kujalleq BGAS QUW Ammassivik Heliport Arsuk Sermersooq BGAR JRK Arsuk Heliport Attu Qeqertalik BGAT Attu Heliport Eqalugaarsuit Kujalleq BGET QFG Eqalugaarsuit Heliport Iginniarfik Qeqertalik BGIG Iginniarfik Heliport Ikamiut Qeqertalik BGIT Ikamiut Heliport Ikerasaarsuk Qeqertalik BGIK Ikerasaarsuk Heliport Ikerasak Avannaata BGIA Ikerasak Heliport(non-IATA identifier: IKE) Ilimanaq (Claushavn) Avannaata BGIL Ilimanaq Heliport IllorsuitAvannaata BGLL IOT Illorsuit Heliport(non-IATA identifier: ILL) InnaarsuitAvannaata BGIN IUI Innaarsuit Heliport Isertoq Sermersooq BGIS Isortoq Heliport(non-IATA identifier: IOQ) Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresbysund) Sermersooq BGSC OBY Ittoqqortoormiit Heliport KangaatsiaqQeqertalik BGKA Kangaatsiaq Heliport Kangersuatsiaq (Prøven)Avannaata BGKS KGQ Kangersuatsiaq Heliport(non-IATA identifier: KAQ) Kitsissuarsuit (Hunde Ejlande)Qeqertalik BGKT Kitsissuarsuit Heliport Kullorsuaq Avannaata BGKQ KHQ Kullorsuaq Heliport(non-IATA identifier: KLQ) Kuummiit Sermersooq BGKM Kuummiit Heliport Nalunaq (Nalunaq gold mine) Kujalleq BGNL Nalunaq Heliport Nanortalik Kujalleq BGNN JNN Nanortalik Heliport Narsaq Kujalleq BGNS JNS Narsaq Heliport Narsaq Kujalleq (Frederiksdal) Kujalleq BGFD QFN Narsaq Kujalleq Heliport Narsarsuaq Kujalleq BGBW UAK Narsarsuaq Airport NiaqornaarsukQeqertalik BGNK Niaqornaarsuk Heliport NiaqornatAvannaata BGNT NIQ Niaqornat Heliport Nuugaatsiaq Avannaata BGNQ JUU Nuugaatsiaq Heliport(non-IATA identifier: NUG) Nuussuaq (Kraulshavn)Avannaata BGNU NSQ Nuussuaq Heliport(non-IATA identifier: NUS) Qasigiannguit (Christianshåb)Qeqertalik BGCH JCH Qasigiannguit Heliport Qassimiut Kujalleq BGQT QJH Qassimiut Heliport QeqertaqAvannaata BGQE Qeqertaq Heliport(non-IATA identifier: QQT) Qeqertarsuaq (Godhavn)Qeqertalik BGGN JGO Qeqertarsuaq Heliport SaattutAvannaata BGST SAE Saattut Heliport(non-IATA identifier: SAA) Saqqaq (Solsiden)Avannaata BGSQ Saqqaq Heliport(non-IATA identifier: QUP) Savissivik Avannaata BGSV SVR Savissivik Heliport Sermiligaaq Sermersooq BGSG Sermiligaaq Heliport Siorapaluk Avannaata BGSI SRK Siorapaluk Heliport Tasiilaq Sermersooq BGAM AGM Tasiilaq Heliport (Ammassalik Heliport) Tasiusaq Kujalleq (was Nanortalik) BGTQ Tasiusaq Heliport (Kujalleq) Tasiusaq Avannaata (was Upernavik) BGTA TQA Tasiusaq Heliport (Avannaata) Tiilerilaaq Sermersooq BGTN TQI Tiniteqilaaq Heliport Ukkusissat Avannaata BGUT JUK Ukkusissat Heliport(non-IATA identifier: UKK) Upernavik Kujalleq (Søndre Upernavik) Avannaata BGKL Upernavik Kujalleq Heliport(non-IATA identifier: UPK) Uummannaq Avannaata BGUM UMD Uummannaq Heliport
The following four heliports are not listed by Naviair.
Location served Municipality ICAO IATA Airport name Reference Igaliku Kujalleq BGIO QFX Igaliku HeliportIgaliku at Air Greenland Kangilinnguit (Grønnedal) Sermersooq BGGD JGR Kangilinnguit Heliport Moriusaq Avannaata BGMO Moriusaq Heliport Saarloq Kujalleq BGSO Saarloq Heliport(non-IATA identifier: QOQ)Saarloq at Air Greenland
Statistics Mittarfeqarfiit only publishes statistics summarized for Atlantic airports (Kangerlussuaq and Narsarsuaq) and for other airports (11 airports). 13 airports are included, not Pituffik Space Base.
2013 2015 2017 2019 Atlantic airports, passengers 159,432 166,688 173,523 197,038 Other airports, passengers 193,812 198,921 200,075 217,173 Heliports, passengers 44,612 41,675 39,789 28,790 Atlantic airports, takeoffs 7,988 8,286 7,653 8,209 Other airports, takeoffs 15,069 16,007 16,958 15,691 Heliports, takeoffs 10,646 11,289 9,533 7,623
Future A major development in Greenlandic aviation occurred in 2016, when it was decided that three new or rebuilt airports would be built in Nuuk, Ilulissat and Qaqortoq. These airports will accommodate larger jet aircraft which can serve international destinations, at a cost of 3.6 billion DKK (approximately $560 million), primarily financed by the Danish state. This will majorly improve access to Greenland's largest towns and end the use of ill-placed prior military bases as aviation hubs. Kangerlussuaq Airport will lose hub status to Nuuk Airport and Ilulissat Airport.
The first of the new airports, Nuuk Airport, was opened in 2024 and subsequently most international traffic transitioned there. Qaqortoq Airport commenced operations on 16 April 2026, replacing Narsarsuaq Airport, with the remaining airport, Ilulissat, due to open later in 2026.
See also Greenland Airports Transport in Greenland Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority Air Greenland Icelandair
References
– includes IATA codes