New international airport opens up one of the world’s coolest destinations

The airport

Nuuk Airport, Greenland (GOH)

The flight

GL782 Air Greenland, Nuuk to Copenhagen

The arrival

The scenic 30-minute drive to the airport from downtown Nuuk, follows the coast and cuts through the mountains that surround the capital of Greenland. International airlines can now access Greenland with non-stop flights from 16 destinations in four countries. Nuuk connects passengers to towns and settlements in Greenland, such as Ilulissat, where tourists flock to see monolithic icebergs at Disko Bay.

The look

The new airport building, which opened in November 2024, is austere and slate-grey from the exterior, blending into the mountains, but dazzlingly bright inside due to walls of windows on each of its three levels. The design incorporates blond Scandinavian timber and simple, comfortable furniture in greys and blues. The slanted floor-to-ceiling windows that face the tarmac are lined with convenient bench seats with charging points, allowing travellers to stretch out. In keeping with the destination, there’s a fearsome polar bear painted across a bank of lockers.

Check-in

I am early, so the airport is almost empty when I arrive and there are no queues. The main hall is small with banks of new self check-in machines. There are rows of bench seats looking out over the tarmac and clusters of tables and chairs, plus vending machines. It feels like a nice place to hang out when you’re saying goodbye to someone. The young man at the check-in counter apologises that he needs to charge me for my extra bag and scrupulously writes out a receipt.

Security

There is no security check point when you enter the airport. After immigration, passengers scan their boarding passes and answer a question about their nationality (Australians are “other”) before joining one of two security queus. The machines are state of the art and there’s no need to remove laptops. I sail through without any waiting time. Greenlanders are very chill, and security staff are relaxed. When a woman behind me spills the contents of her bag on the conveyor belt, a smiling security officer jumps up on the belt to retrieve her passport, which has fallen through. No scolding.

Food + drink

As this is a small airport, the food and drink offering is limited to one large cafe and some vending machines. But the cafe is welcoming, with both table and chair settings and a long bar with stools and barista coffee. The salads and bowls look good and there’s a decent selection of sandwiches and rolls, including a reindeer salami sandwich for about $20. Next to the cafe is a small children’s area with an eco-friendly timber aeroplane on which to play.

Retail therapy

The shopping area, duty free and cafe are near the departure gates. There’s not much shopping to be done, unless you’re looking for seal-fur gloves or a fur-covered whiskey flask. There are a few stands with the usual high-end beauty brands and some more interesting Danish skincare brands.

Passing time

You might be passing more time than you think at this airport, which is regularly fogged in. Other people we knew who were flying in and out of Nuuk the same week, had flights cancelled and were stranded for a day although Nuuk is a nice place to be stranded. Our flight is delayed by a couple of hours because there isn’t enough fuel for the journey and the tanker which has to come from the coast is delayed. I discover, too late in the day, that there is a comfortable and quiet waiting room on level two with sofas and workstations. The free Wi-Fi is good and if you feel the need, there’s a smoking-room downstairs near the gates.

The verdict

The New York Times reports that the newest international airport in one of the world’s hottest destination is experiencing teething pains, due to an influx of tourists, mostly Americans, flocking to this remote destination on non-stop flights, along with staffing issues. When I was there, although busy due to a few cancelled flights, it is calm and orderly. One thing to note, there are no airbridges, so you’ll need to make a dash outside in the freezing elements to board your plane.

Our rating out of five

★★★★

The writer was a guest of HX Expeditions.