NUUK, Greenland — An historic milestone was reached as an American-operated flight made direct contact with Greenland when it landed in Nuuk, the country’s capital, on Saturday evening. Organized by United Airlines, this journey marked the first such direct flight from the United States to Greenland in nearly two decades. The return voyage was planned for Sunday morning.
Departing from Newark International Airport in New Jersey, the United Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 took off at 11:31 a.m. EDT (1531 GMT) and made its way to Greenland, arriving at 6:39 p.m. local time (1939 GMT), according to data from flight-tracking service FlightAware.
Tickets for the one-way journey from Newark to Nuuk are priced around $1,200, while the return can cost between $1,300 to $1,500.
The last direct route between the United States and Greenland was initiated by Air Greenland, which operated between Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Kangerlussuaq Airport in 2007. This service was discontinued in 2008 due to financial constraints. Kangerlussuaq Airport is situated 315 kilometers (195 miles) north of Nuuk.
One notable passenger, 38-year-old Warren Rieutort-Louis from San Francisco, embarked on a brief stay in Nuuk to partake in this historic event. Having previously visited Greenland via Europe, Rieutort-Louis expressed enthusiasm about the direct journey.
Coinciding with this milestone flight was the celebration of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday in Washington, marked by a contentious military parade as part of the Army’s long-anticipated 250th-anniversary festivities. President Trump has previously expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, viewing it as a strategic asset.
However, Greenland’s semi-autonomous leadership, aligned with Denmark and NATO, has firmly stated that the island is not available for sale, dismissing any rumors of increased U.S. intelligence activities in the region.
United Airlines had forecasted this flight and its inaugural date back in October preceding President Trump’s re-election. The flight was slotted for 2025 but preponed with the opening of Nuuk’s new airport, equipped to handle larger aircraft, in late November.
United Airlines remains the sole U.S. carrier offering nonstop flights to Nuuk, aiming to bolster adventure tourism and capitalize on Greenland’s untouched wilderness under the midnight sun, as per the company’s earlier statement.
The initiation of twice-weekly seasonal flights, running from June to September, was launched on this memorable weekend. Flight capacity stands at around 165 seats.
Before this service, travelers journeying to Greenland from the U.S. faced obligatory layovers in Iceland or Copenhagen, Denmark. The direct route is expected to stimulate local commerce and provide easier travel opportunities for Greenlanders, shared Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s minister for business, mineral resources, energy, and more.
With fishing dominating nearly 90% of Greenland’s exports, introducing direct flights plays a part in diversifying the island’s economy, Nathanielsen explained to Danish broadcaster DR. This shift comes at a time when over 96,000 international travelers visited Greenland in 2023, marking a 28% increase from 2015.
Another American traveler, Jessica Litolff from Louisiana, echoed hopes that this newfound connection would benefit both nations. “Given the short flight duration of around four and a half hours, reaching Greenland is faster than traveling across some major areas in the U.S.,” she mentioned.
Visit Greenland, the national tourism board, concurs with these sentiments, though it refrained from offering predictions regarding potential economic benefits from the new service.
“The benefits go beyond mere dollars, positively impacting both local society and international visitors,” stated Tanny Por, Visit Greenland’s international relations head.
A fellow traveler, Washington D.C. native Aria Varasteh, enthused about finally visiting Greenland and anticipates a welcoming experience from local residents. “We’re here to share and learn from each other,” Varasteh stated.