newstodate.aero
Feb 28, 2018 (newstodate): One of only two airports in Greenland capable of handling large aircraft, Kangerlussuaq Airport is not comprised by the country's plans for development of the airport infrastructure in Greenland, managed by Kalaallit Airport A/S.
Instead, the focus is on the extension of the runway at the capital airport at Nuuk to 1,800m from today's 950m, Ilulissat Airport will also have its runway extended to 1,800m from today's 845m, and a new airport will be constructed at Qaqortoq with a 1,200m runway.
This leaves Kangerlussuaq Airport outside the spotlight.
However, with 24/7/360 days' up-time and a 2,810m runway, the airport plays a crucial role in today's Transatlantic air services as well as in Greenland's infrastructure as a whole, and Kangerlussuaq Airport also serves as an ETOPS alternative airport for Transatlantic flights.
To secure the future of Kangerlussuaq in the longer term will require massive maintenance and reconstruction works on the airport's runway that is impacted by changes in the permafrost conditions - and no financial means have yet been allocated to these pertinent issues.
Fears are thus rising that the airport will be closed down after the commissioning of the new Atlantic airport at Nuuk.
Instead, the focus is on the extension of the runway at the capital airport at Nuuk to 1,800m from today's 950m, Ilulissat Airport will also have its runway extended to 1,800m from today's 845m, and a new airport will be constructed at Qaqortoq with a 1,200m runway.
This leaves Kangerlussuaq Airport outside the spotlight.
However, with 24/7/360 days' up-time and a 2,810m runway, the airport plays a crucial role in today's Transatlantic air services as well as in Greenland's infrastructure as a whole, and Kangerlussuaq Airport also serves as an ETOPS alternative airport for Transatlantic flights.
To secure the future of Kangerlussuaq in the longer term will require massive maintenance and reconstruction works on the airport's runway that is impacted by changes in the permafrost conditions - and no financial means have yet been allocated to these pertinent issues.
Fears are thus rising that the airport will be closed down after the commissioning of the new Atlantic airport at Nuuk.