Through the airplane window, enormous icebergs drift across the waters of Disko Bay, alongside one of Greenland's most remote and spectacular towns. Until this week, reaching Ilulissat, a community of around 5,000 people on the island's northwestern coast, usually involved connecting flights aboard small aircraft.
On Thursday, October 29, an Air Greenland Airbus A330neo landed there after a direct flight from Copenhagen carrying 169 passengers, including Greenland's prime minister. The inaugural flight marked the opening of a new international airport that could transform access to one of the world's most remarkable natural landscapes. But alongside excitement over the opportunities it brings, questions are already emerging about the price this fragile Arctic region could pay if tourists begin arriving in large numbers.
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Icebergs visible from an airplane window during the first direct flight from Copenhagen to Ilulissat, Greenland
(Photo: James Brooks / AP)
Ilulissat, whose name means "icebergs" in Greenlandic, lies on Greenland's western coast, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the Arctic Circle. The island's third-largest town is also one of its leading tourist destinations, largely thanks to the Ilulissat Icefjord, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. Giant icebergs break away from the Greenland ice sheet and drift through the fjord toward Disko Bay, creating an extraordinary landscape of immense blocks of ice floating across the water.
Visitors can take boat tours among the icebergs, hike through Arctic landscapes, kayak during the summer months and go dog sledding in winter. At the right time of year, they may also catch a glimpse of the northern lights. But getting there has never been particularly easy. No road connects Ilulissat to Greenland's other major towns, and transportation between settlements relies primarily on aircraft, helicopters and boats.
Before the new airport opened, tourists traveling from Copenhagen had to land at another airport in Greenland and continue to Ilulissat on a smaller domestic aircraft. Other options included flying from Iceland or arriving aboard a cruise ship.
An Air Greenland Airbus A330neo parked at Ilulissat Airport after completing the inaugural direct flight from Copenhagen
(Photo: James Brooks/ AP)
An airport worker waves Greenlandic flags during the opening ceremony for Ilulissat's new international airport
(Photo: James Brooks/ AP)
The new airport changes that. The previous runway, just 845 meters (2,772 feet) long, has been replaced with a 2,200-meter (7,218-foot) runway, alongside a new terminal covering approximately 5,000 square meters (53,820 square feet). The expansion allows large passenger jets to land directly in Ilulissat. Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen was among the passengers on the inaugural flight from Copenhagen, which took about four and a half hours. He described the airport as one of the largest investments in Greenland's history.
Although the airport has officially opened, operations will expand gradually. Beginning in November 2026, the direct Copenhagen-Ilulissat service will be operated by Jettime Boeing 737-800 aircraft, initially with one flight per week on Wednesdays. Additional Monday departures are planned during selected periods, including Christmas, New Year's and March 2027.
In April 2027, Air Greenland expects to introduce its new Airbus A320neo aircraft on the route. During the peak summer season, from mid-June to early September, the airline plans to operate up to six direct flights per week from Copenhagen. Icelandair also plans three weekly flights between Keflavík International Airport in Iceland and Ilulissat during the summer of 2027.
Icebergs floating in Disko Bay near the Arctic town of Ilulissat, Greenland
(Photo: James Brooks / AP)
Pedestrians on a street in Ilulissat, Greenland
(Photo: James Brooks / AP)
For Israeli travelers, who have no direct flights to Greenland, the new route makes it possible to reach Ilulissat through Copenhagen without needing another connecting flight within Greenland. However, the limited frequency of winter services means travelers will still need to plan carefully and coordinate their itineraries with the available departures.
The opening of Ilulissat Airport completes a major program to modernize Greenland's aviation infrastructure. A new international airport opened in the capital, Nuuk, in November 2024, followed by another airport in Qaqortoq, in southern Greenland, in April 2026. All three projects are intended to improve connections between the island's isolated communities, make travel to and from Greenland easier and encourage the development of tourism and the local economy.
For Greenland's government, the new airports represent much more than an investment in tourism. The island, home to approximately 56,000 people, enjoys self-government within the Kingdom of Denmark but aspires to full independence. Its economy still depends heavily on fishing, and developing tourism is viewed as one way to diversify sources of income and reduce economic dependence on Denmark.
Speaking to The Associated Press before departing Copenhagen, Prime Minister Nielsen said that if Greenland wanted independence, it needed a stronger economic foundation, supported by industry and business development.
An aerial view of Ilulissat Icefjord in western Greenland, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
(Photo: Milosz Maslanka/ Shutterstock)
Giant icebergs near Ilulissat Icefjord in western Greenland
(Photo: Michal Balada/ Shutterstock)
Massive icebergs that broke away from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier float through Ilulissat Icefjord
(Photo: Petr Kahanek / Shutterstock)
Those aspirations have taken on added significance because of U.S. President Donald Trump's interest in the Arctic island. Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to bring Greenland under American control, prompting tensions with Denmark. In Greenland itself, however, leaders want to build an economy that gives residents greater control over their own future.
International visitor numbers to Greenland have increased by at least 65% since 2018, reaching nearly 150,000 in 2024. Despite that growth, tourism accounted for less than 5% of the island's gross domestic product that year. One of the main obstacles to further expansion is the shortage of tourism infrastructure, including accommodation. The new airports could significantly increase demand, but Greenland will also need to expand its capacity to receive visitors if it hopes to benefit from the opportunity.
Alongside the hopes for economic growth, some residents fear the consequences of mass tourism for the fragile Arctic environment. Palle Jerimiassen, a former regional mayor in the Ilulissat area, warned in an interview with AP that a sharp increase in visitor numbers could place excessive pressure on local infrastructure, the environment and the people who live there.
"How many can we invite?" he asked. Jerimiassen said tourists were welcome and offered an opportunity for residents to earn additional income, but he also sounded a note of caution: "But we have to be careful."