Air Greenland is staring flights from Nuuk to Iqaluit and on to Ottawa. A round trip costs about $1,100.
Air Greenland A/S is the flag carrier airline of Greenland, owned by the Greenland Home Rule Government, SAS Group, and the government of Denmark. The Greenland Home Rule Government and the SAS Group are the largest shareholders of the airline, owning a 37.5% stake each. The Kingdom of Denmark owns the remaining 25% of the stock. It operates a fleet of 38 aircraft, including one airliner used for transatlantic and charter flights, 10 fixed-wing aircraft primarily serving the domestic network, and 26 helicopters feeding passengers from the smaller communities into the domestic airport network.
The Air Greenland Group achieved a profit of DKK 75 million ($13.7M) before taxes for the year of 2011. After taxes, the sum is DKK 51.3 million. Compared to last year, this is an increase of DKK 12.5 and 10.2 million respectively. The good result is mainly due to an unusually high activity in the company’s charter department. This is the result of a deliberate focus on new and growing business areas within the oil and exploration industries. The charter division set a record in flying hours for both the DASH-7’s and, not least, the small AS 350 helicopters, with a 96 % use of the time available for these helicopters. The group’s turnover has also increased over the last year and the rise in activity occurred with the same number of employees as in 2010. Air Greenland has shown itself able to adapt the company to new times and effectively exploit the opportunities arising with the increasing international focus on Greenland’s mineral resources.
2011 was a fantastic year for Air Greenland’s charter department, with a record-high level of activity in three segments especially:
• Offshore hydrocarbon exploration
• Land-based mineral and scientific exploration
• Building and construction work, primarily for the hydroelectric plant, Paakitsoq near Ilulissat.
In 2010 Air Greenland carried more than 427,000 passengers. Headquartered in Nuuk, the airline had 668 employees in December 2009.
It will be interesting to see whether the Ottawa/Iqaluit air connection to Greenland grows and prospers.