Air Greenland Adds International Connections, Expands Interline Agreements

Iqaluit, the capital of the northern Canadian territory of Nunavut, will return to Air Greenland’s network during the summer 2024 season after an absence of eight years.

The route is one of several international additions the carrier is planning to make next year, both on its own metal and through interline agreements with Icelandair and SAS Scandinavian Airlines.

“We know that there is a great desire for closer cooperation between Nunavut and Greenland, and to ensure dialogue, it is natural to open a route to our neighbours to the west,” Air Greenland CEO Jacob Nitter Sørensen says. “We believe that this will create an even stronger basis for supporting the many business, political and cultural ties that already exist.”

From June 26, 2024, through Oct. 23, Air Greenland will offer a weekly service on Wednesdays between Nuuk Airport (GOH) and Iqaluit Airport (YFB) using De Havilland Canada Dash 8-200s. An onward connection to Canada’s capital Ottawa will be provided by regional carrier Canadian North.

Air Greenland has entered into an interline agreement with Canadian North so it will be possible to buy a continuous ticket between Nuuk and Ottawa. The move follows the signing of a partnership agreement in late 2020.

According to data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser, Air Greenland last provided scheduled service between Nuuk and Iqaluit for a limited time in March 2016. Prior to that, it offered nonstop flights between June and September 2014.

The airline also plans to reintroduce flights connecting Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland with Aalborg, Denmark. Service will begin on June 25, 2024, through Aug. 20, operating via Copenhagen. Air Greenland has previously linked Kangerlussuaq and Aalborg, offering a very limited summer service until August 2016.

Alongside the Canada and Denmark additions, the carrier has entered interline agreements with Icelandair and SAS, opening up new travel options via Reykjavik Keflavik or Copenhagen. Destinations added through the partnerships include Aarhus, Amsterdam, Bergen, Frankfurt, Manchester, Munich and Toronto.

The network plans for 2024 come as commercial director Henrik Søe says Air Greenland is “in the process of researching the market for aircraft” ahead of new Atlantic airports opening in Nuuk and Ilulissat in 2024 and 2026, respectively.