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An article in the Daily Express reports that Greenland is investing millions of pounds in revamping its air transport infrastructure. Greenland has “embarked on a massively ambitious airport construction programme that officials hope will help transform its economy.”
According to the Express, the project will deliver three airports - one refurbished and two completely new ones: “with an estimated total cost of £694 million. Nuuk international airport is the first to be operational, having received a £226 million makeover.”
The airport reportedly serves as a major hub for international flights, connecting Greenland with Copenhagen, Denmark and Reykjavik, Iceland. The refurbished airport will boost tourism, with “passenger numbers expected to double to over 100,000 people. The airport alone is estimated to bring in roughly £151,000 per flight to the local economy.”
As the Express reports: “Two more airports will be built in Ilulissat and Qaqortoq, the former expected to cost £373 million and the latter £101 million. Both are slated to be open in 2026 and will also feature 2,200 metre runways, as well as instrument landing systems for all-weather operations.”
The building of the airports has apparently “posed significant technical challenges to construction teams, who have had to deal with digging into the tundra - this includes a layer of permafrost which can be as hard as concrete.”
The opening up of Greenland is not only an area of interest for the aviation industry, but also has massive geopolitical implications in the light of recent comments from the White House in the U.S. If the climate warms sufficiently to increase access to Greenland’s resources, there will be no shortage of investment and political manoeuvring to boost the local economy, with major ripple effects on global trade.
Greenland is the thin edge of a large wedge of global commerce, which starts with its local airport expansion plans. According to the Express, air transport globally contributes around £664 billion annually to world GDP. In Europe, airports and aviation related industries employ almost 12 million people and add £571 billion to GDP - about 4.1% of the continent's economy.
