newstodate.aero
Apr 16, 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.
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 an ETOPS alternative airport as well as in Greenland's infrastructure as a whole serving as the country's Transatlantic airport.
This role may change when the new airport infrastructure is in place which means that the runway at the capital airport at Nuuk will be extended from today's 950m to 1,800m, 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.
The role of Kangerlussuaq Airport will then be to served as a domestic airport, and its runway will be shortened to 1,199 m, if Greenland's government follows the recommendations in a new analysis by Deloitte.
To secure the future of Kangerlussuaq as an international airport in the longer term would 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.
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 an ETOPS alternative airport as well as in Greenland's infrastructure as a whole serving as the country's Transatlantic airport.
This role may change when the new airport infrastructure is in place which means that the runway at the capital airport at Nuuk will be extended from today's 950m to 1,800m, 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.
The role of Kangerlussuaq Airport will then be to served as a domestic airport, and its runway will be shortened to 1,199 m, if Greenland's government follows the recommendations in a new analysis by Deloitte.
To secure the future of Kangerlussuaq as an international airport in the longer term would 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.