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Qaarsut Airport (Greenlandic: Mittarfik Qaarsut) (IATA: JQA, ICAO: BGUQ) is an airport in Qaarsut, a settlement on the Nuussuaq Peninsula
in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is a primary airport with a gravel runway, capable of serving STOL aircraft of Air Greenland in all seasons.
There is a small cafeteria in the tiny arrivals/departures hall. It is connected by a 4 km (2.5 mi) gravel road to Qaarsut and is 13.5 nautical miles
(25.0 km; 15.5 mi) northwest of Uummannaq.
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Qaarsut Airport
Mittarfik Qaarsut
Uummannaq/Qaarsut Airport |
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| Summary |
| Airport type |
Public |
| Operator |
Greenland Airport Authority
(Mittarfeqarfiit) |
| Serves |
Qaarsut and Uummannaq, Greenland |
| Location |
Qaarsut |
| Elevation AMSL |
289 ft / 88 m |
| Coordinates |
70°44′03″N
052°41′46″W |
| Map |
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Location in Greenland
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| Runways |
| Direction |
Length |
Surface |
| m |
ft |
| 15/33 |
900 |
2,953 |
Gravel |
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| Statistics (2012) |
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Source: Danish AIS |
History
Qaarsut airport was inaugurated on 29 September 1999, with the purpose of serving the much larger neighboring town of Uummannaq, 13.5 NM (25.0 km; 15.5 mi)
southeast of the airport, located on an island of the same name in the south-central part of Uummannaq Fjord. The island−merely 23 km (14 mi) away in a direct
line across Sarqarput Strait−is too small and rocky to host an airport of sufficient size to accommodate fixed-wing aircraft of Air Greenland.
Air Greenland passengers transfer between Bell 212 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft in Qaarsut
The airport thus functions as a mini-hub for Uummannaq, with the terminal building labelled 'Uummannaq', regardless of its actual location, registration, documentation, and
existing booking systems.
Bottlenecks
The decision to build the airport in Qaarsut was intended to solve the bottleneck on the Ilulissat-Uummannaq route (164 km), 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.
Air Greenland Bell 212 helicopter shuttling passengers between Qaarsut and Uummannaq
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 or from the northern communities, resulting in resentment. As of 2017, it is possible to travel Ilulissat–Qaanaaq or
opposite within a day with only one plane change in Upernavik without touching Qaarsut.
Future
Proposals to close the airport have to date been rejected. Sunk costs, tourism potential for northwestern and northern Greenland, and the 2010 reinvigoration
of the mining activities in Maamorilik northeast of Ukkusissat, as well as on Appat Island in the future−are the primary reasons for keeping
the airport open.
ATC tower and 'mislabeled' terminal
Check-in desk of Qaarsut Airport
Waiting area of Qaarsut Airport
Airlines and destinations
| Airlines |
Destinations |
| Air Greenland |
Ilulissat, Uummannaq |
Tower of Qaarsut Airport
Airport building
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The content above was published at Airports-Worldwide.com in 2020.
We don't guarantee the information is fresh and accurate. The data may be wrong or outdated.
For more up-to-date information please refer to other sources.
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