Qaqortoq Airport
A large international airport is currently under construction as of 2024, and is due to be complete by late 2026. Equipped with a 1,500 metre runway, it will replace the current heliport as well as fixed-wing flights from Narsarsuaq Airport.
Airlines and destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Greenland | Nanortalik, Narsaq, Narsarsuaq Seasonal: Alluitsup Paa, Ammassivik |
Air Greenland operates government contract flights to villages in the Qaqortoq region. These mostly cargo flights are not featured in the timetable, although they can be pre-booked. Departure times for these flights as specified during booking are by definition approximate, with the settlement service optimized on the fly depending on local demand for a given day.
Future
The future of the heliport is connected to the wider network of air traffic in southern Greenland. In December 2015 the Greenland government decided on construction of an airport (used for fixed-wing aircraft) close to Qaqortoq with a 1,500-metre (4,921 ft) runway.
The chosen site is at 60°45′51″N 46°3′57″W / 60.76417°N 46.06583°W, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of town, having a decided runway length of 1,500 metres (4,921 ft). This length is considered the minimum requirement for supporting future economic development, especially within the tourism sector, allowing propeller aircraft of near 100 seats (such as DHC-8-Q400) to fly all seats used domestically and to Iceland. There is room for an extension of up to 1,800 metres (5,906 ft), which would allow for jet aircraft to use the airport. The access road to the airport site was completed as a gravel road in 2017, though it will eventually be an asphalt road when the airport is finally completed. The first rock blastings at the airport site were conducted at a ceremony during early November 2016.
As of October 2024, the new airport is under construction and is due to be completed in late 2026. A large setback happened in April 2020 when the procurement of the airport construction was halted because all offers were well above the project budget. A contract with a construction company from Canada was finally signed in February 2022.
Following the completion of this airport, Narsarsuaq Airport will be closed and downgraded to a heliport. Exact plans for the heliport meanwhile remain ambiguous.
References
- ^ Greenland AIP for BGJH – Qaqortoq Heliport from Naviair
- ^ Operationer og pax 2012-1988.xls
- ^ Redaktionen (2023-10-07). "Qaqortoqs nye lufthavn yderligere forsinket: Narsarsuaq Lufthavn skal forblive i drift indtil 2026". www.sermitsiaq.ag (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-10-13.
- ^ "Booking system". Air Greenland. Archived from the original on 22 April 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
- ^ Air Greenland, fare system rules Archived July 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Qaqortoq
- ^ "Korte baner begrænser fremtidsmulighederne". Sermitsiaq.AG (in Danish). 27 September 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
- ^ "Home". kair.gl.
- ^ Kalaallit Airports Domestic A/S annullerer udbud af landingsbane og lufthavnsbygninger i Qaqortoq
- ^ The contracting for the upcoming airport in Qaqortoq is concluded.
- ^ RUNWAY CONTRACT SIGNED FOR THE UPCOMING KALAALLIT AIRPORTS DOMESTIC IN QAQORTOQ GREENLAND.
- ^ Veirum, Thomas Munk (2022-03-31). "Paviasen: Borgerne har fået besked om Narsarsuaq - den lukkes for fly". www.sermitsiaq.ag (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-03-21.