Qaarsut Airport - Bottlenecks

Bottlenecks

The decision to build the airport in Qaarsut was intended to solve the bottleneck on the Ilulissat-Uummannaq route, until then operated by Air Greenland with Sikorsky S-61N helicopters. Acquired in 1965, they are the oldest machines in the fleet of the airline, still in operation year-round in southern Greenland and during wintertime in the Disko Bay area south of Qaarsut.

The bottleneck problem is considered unsolved, since passengers must still be shuttled between the airport and Uummannaq Heliport. The primary function of the airport as a local hub has unintended consequences for communities of northern Greenland. All flights to Qaanaaq Airport include a stopover in Upernavik Airport. In order to avoid an overnight layover in Upernavik, all Qaanaaq-bound passengers must travel via Qaarsut. Flights on the Ilulissat-Qaarsut route are often sold out, which given a single weekly flight to Qaanaaq leaves passengers unable to travel to the northern communities, resulting in resentment.

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