A new airport has opened in Qaqortoq, giving international travellers direct access to the main town of South Greenland for the first time.
It marks the opening up of one of the Arctic’s most diverse and lesser-visited areas.
“South Greenland offers a rare combination of powerful nature and a living culture shaped over generations,” says Visit Greenland Director Anne Nivika Grødem.
“Improved access allows us to welcome visitors with greater intention – encouraging travel with curiosity, while creating lasting value for local communities and more meaningful experiences for our guests.”
Discover the fjords and fertile valleys of South Greenland
Previously accessible only by helicopter or boat, Qaqortoq has now become the main gateway to the south, with year-round flights from Greenland’s capital Nuuk and seasonal connections from Iceland.
The airport replaces Narsarsuaq – around 60 kilometres away – as the primary access point, significantly reducing travel time to the southern hub of Greenland.
South Greenland is known for its green pastures, sheep farming and wild nature. The area offers fjords, fertile valleys and a rich cultural landscape shaped by Inuit communities and Norse settlers since the time of Erik the Red more than 1,000 years ago.
Improved access also opens routes to areas such as Tasermiut Fjord, an area of dramatic peaks and often referred to as “the Patagonia of Greenland”.
Flight connections from Qaqortoq to Nuuk and Keflavík
The opening forms part of a wider expansion of Greenland’s aviation network, following Nuuk’s airport and ahead of Ilulissat’s new airport later this year – making Greenland increasingly accessible as a multi-destination destination.
Air Greenland expects around two daily flights between Nuuk and Qaqortoq year-round, with up to 17 weekly rotations during the summer period. Icelandair plans four weekly summer flights between Keflavík and Qaqortoq.
Improved air access is expected to support year-round tourism, a key priority for strengthening local businesses, reducing travel times and contributing to more balanced development across Greenland.
“With the opening of Qaqortoq Airport, we are taking an important step in the development of South Greenland,” says Jens Lauridsen, CEO of Greenland Airports.
“We are proud to contribute to the development of Greenland’s infrastructure and look forward to seeing how these new opportunities translate into tangible growth.”