A new airport just opened in Qaqortoq, Greenland, in the southern part of the country. The airport gives international travelers direct access to this main town of South Greenland for the first time, opening up one of the Arctic’s most diverse and lesser-visited areas.

© Greenland Airports

The town was previously only accessible by helicopter or boat. Now, Qaqortoq is the main gateway to the south, with year-round flights from Nuuk and seasonal connections from Iceland. The new airport replaces Narsarsuaq as the primary access point in the region, greatly reducing travel time to the southern hub. The airport also improves access to areas like Tasermiut Fjord, known as the “Patagonia of Greenland.”

Air Greenland plans to operate about two daily flights between Nuuk (GOH) and Qaqortoq (JJU) year-round, with up to 17 weekly rotations during the summer period. Icelandair aims to offer four weekly summer flights between Keflavík (KEF) and Qaqortoq.

© Greenland Airports

South Greenland is noted for its relatively “mild” climate; green landscapes; and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Kujataa, where Inuit communities and Norse settlers have called the area home for more than 1,000 years.

The new airport opening marks part of a larger expansion of Greenland’s airport network, following Nuuk’s airport and ahead of Ilulissat’s new airport opening later this year.