Product Code Database
Example Keywords: wii -tie $25
   » » Wiki: Qaqortoq Airport
Tag Wiki 'Qaqortoq Airport'.
Tag

Qaqortoq Airport () is an which is under construction to serve fixed-wing services in southern Greenland, located by the town of . The wider network of air traffic in southern has been served by the former U.S. military base, Narsarsuaq Airport, which is located approximately 60 km from the largest town in southern Greenland, .

As of April 2025, the airport is under construction and is due to be completed in 2026 and will replace, in operation, Qaqortoq heliport and Narsarsuaq Airport.


History
Many feasibility assessments regarding building a landing strip near Qaqortoq for fixed-wing aircraft had been conducted throughout the 2000s and 2010s. The issue was previously debated in 2007, when the Democrats opposed a landing strip proposal, citing ecological and environmental concerns. In contrast to the previous debates, presently the Democrats are lobbying for a runway, making passenger flights to continental Europe possible. A shorter, runway, supported by the CEO of , would enable flights with small turboprops to Iceland and eastern . The cost of moving the airport from Narsarsuaq as a 1799-metre runway is estimated at 900 million (€120.7m), while a 1199-metre runway is estimated at 370 million (€50m). Presently Narsarsuaq airport is a community of 140 people, depending solely on the airport, but the Kujalleq Municipality supports the plans for moving the airport to the centre of South Greenland, thereby creating economic growth in the region.

Five locations for a possible airport was assessed. Four of these – at Prinsessen, Nunarsuatsiaap Kujalequtaa, Munkebugten, and halfway towards – are for a domestic runway. Only one location, northwest of the town between Nuupiluk and Matup Tunua, would be suitable for a runway up to , in order to accommodate intercontinental flights. It was in 2011 expected that a new airport would be built before 2020, probably with a 1,499-metre runway behind the mountain of Saqqaarsik, being able to serve flights from Europe, Iceland and other parts of Greenland, thereby moving the air transport centre of South Greenland from Narsarsuaq to the centre of the region.


Decision and construction
The final political decision on the matter was then pending for years, but an act on the project was finalized by the parliament of Greenland in 2018, and a project is now being prepared for an airport with a 1500-metre runway, allowing smaller jets to land during the crucial summer tourist season. The 1500-metre runway will also be important for developing the nearby Tanbreez REE-mine project. RUNWAY CONTRACT SIGNED FOR THE UPCOMING KALAALLIT AIRPORTS DOMESTIC IN QAQORTOQ GREENLAND.

The decided site is at , 5 km north of , having a decided runway length of 1500 metres. Qaqortoq

The 1500 metre runway is considered the shortest possibility, in terms of future economic development, especially within the tourism sector. 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 , which would allow for larger 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 2025, the new airport is under construction and is due to be completed in 2026. A large setback occurred 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. RUNWAY CONTRACT SIGNED FOR THE UPCOMING KALAALLIT AIRPORTS DOMESTIC IN QAQORTOQ GREENLAND.

Following the completion of this airport, Narsarsuaq Airport is planned to be closed and downgraded to a heliport. Exact plans for the heliport, meanwhile, remain ambiguous. The airport will replace the current Qaqortoq heliport as well as fixed-wing flights from Narsarsuaq Airport. Qaqortoq will assume the previous heilport's IATA code of JJU, but will have a new ICAO code of BGQO.


See also


External links
Page 1 of 1
1
Page 1 of 1
1

Account

Social:
Pages:  ..   .. 
Items:  .. 

Navigation

General: Atom Feed Atom Feed  .. 
Help:  ..   .. 
Category:  ..   .. 
Media:  ..   .. 
Posts:  ..   ..   .. 

Statistics

Page:  .. 
Summary:  .. 
1 Tags
10/10 Page Rank
5 Page Refs