It’s an attention-grabbing time for aviation in Greenland. We’re witnessing big investments within the territory’s aviation infrastructure, and consequently, we’re additionally seeing fairly a bit of additional air service there. Alongside these traces, government-owned Air Greenland has introduced that it’s going to double its jet fleet.
Air Greenland will begin flying an Airbus A320neo in 2027
At present, Air Greenland’s fixed-wing fleet consists of 9 passenger plane, together with one Airbus A330-800neo, and eight De Havilland Sprint 8-200 turboprops (that is along with a reasonably cool helicopter fleet).
Air Greenland has now signed an settlement with leasing firm Carlyle, to accumulate an Airbus A320neo plane. This aircraft is anticipated to be delivered to Air Greenland in December 2026, and it ought to enter service within the spring of 2027. At present, the lease settlement runs for six years, with an possibility to increase that time period.
Air Greenland’s CEO signifies that the choice to lease the plane was made based mostly on the present supply timeline for brand spanking new Airbus jets being round six to seven years, so it will enable the airline to develop sooner.
The A320neo can have a technical upkeep base in Copenhagen, which can be the place Air Greenland’s A330-800neo is maintained. This upkeep shall be achieved in partnership with Scandinavian Airways (SAS).
Pilots and cabin crew will have the ability to work each the A330 and A320 with the identical license, so Air Greenland sees this as an enormous advantage of the association, in comparison with one other plane. As a reminder, the A330 is a large physique jet, whereas the A320 is a slim physique jet.
Air Greenland plans to fly the Airbus A320neo out of Ilulissat
What does Air Greenland plan to do with its new Airbus A320neo? Needless to say at the moment, the service’s Airbus A330-800neo is usually flown between Nuuk (GOH) and Copenhagen (CPH). So the plan is to make use of the A320neo to additionally fly to Copenhagen, however out of Ilulissat (JAV), in northern Greenland.
As talked about above, we’re at the moment seeing important airport growth tasks in Greenland. Up till lately, Kangerlussuaq (SJF) was Greenland’s gateway airport. Whereas the realm doesn’t have an enormous inhabitants and isn’t the first place individuals wish to go to, it was the one airport able to dealing with a jet. So passengers would funnel by way of there, after which take connecting turboprop flights to elsewhere in Greenland.
Luckily we lately noticed an expanded airport open in Nuuk, in order that Greenland’s largest metropolis now additionally will get probably the most air service. Subsequent up, Ilulissat can be getting an expanded airport. At present, the airport solely has an 880-meter runway, able to dealing with turboprops, however not jets.
Nonetheless, by the spring of 2027, we must always see the opening of a 2,200-meter runway, which can have the ability to accommodate jets. So the timing right here actually is ideal, because the jet ought to arrive across the identical time because the expanded airport, assuming there aren’t delays (which looks like an enormous “if,” on each fronts). Ilulissat is among the hottest vacationer locations in Greenland, so journey there shall be drastically simplified.
Backside line
Air Greenland shall be increasing its jet fleet, because the airline plans to start out flying an Airbus A320neo as of early 2027. The timing ought to coincide with the opening of an expanded airport in Ilulissat, and the plan is for the airline so as to add one other hyperlink to Copenhagen. I’m joyful to see Air Greenland proceed to develop, and I’m curious to see how the service configures its A320neo.
What do you make of Air Greenland buying an Airbus A320neo?
Supply hyperlink
