Greenlanders, Nunavummiut pleased with new air link

Shoppers in downtown Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. (FILE PHOTO)

Air Greenland’s announcement of twice-weekly flights between Iqaluit and Nuuk this summer is being greeted with approval by government and tourism officials on both sides of the Davis Strait.

“This is exciting news for Nunavut and Iqaluit,” Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak said in a statement.

“It opens a whole new world for further collaboration in culture, education, language and unlocks the potential for future partnerships in business and tourism,” Aariak said.

Members of the Greenland parliamentary committee on foreign and security affairs said in a statement Jan. 20 that the announcement brings them “joy and enthusiasm.”

“The route gives Greenland a chance to get a closer cultural and economic cooperation and interaction with the Inuit in Canada and to promote and strengthen the practical cooperation and fellow-feeling between our two countries,” the Greenland parliamentarians said.

The Greenlandic politicians said they hope the route will one day operate all year round.

Right now, Air Greenland plans to operate the service for an 11-week period between June 18 and Sept. 3.

Colleen Dupuis, the executive director of Nunavut Tourism, said the announcement is certainly good news, but was unexpected and that it may have come too late for tourism operators to take advantage of this year.

“Travel promoters needed this information no later than October if they were to include it in promotional material for this summer’s tourist season,” she said.

“In terms of promoting and having tourists coming from Europe to Iqaluit through Greenland, that is something we will have to promote next year,” Dupuis said.

“I was talking to some of our tourism operators and they could have had 200 to 300 people on those flights if they had known in advance. With the timing of it, now they are looking at about 10.”

Dupuis plans to discuss the route’s tourism possibilities with Greenland tourism officials during a conference to be held in Iqaluit this March.

Citing the number of charters that fly back and forth between Nunavut and Greenland each year, Dupuis says that there is certainly enough interest to warrant the new route.

“I know that the charter that Alainait does every year for their festival is very popular,” Dupuis said.

In February 2011, Government of Nunavut officials and interested business owners made a presentation to a delegation from Greenland on the benefits of using Iqaluit as a point of entry to North America and a link to Nunavut.

Greenlandic travellers would see their travel time cut in half when flying to North American destinations.

“If you live in Greenland right now and want to go to Florida you have to go to Iceland first and it is a two-day trip,” Dupuis said.

“Coming through Iqaluit, it is a gateway to Ottawa and Toronto. You can get from Greenland to Florida in one day.”

Return fares on the Iqaluit-Nuuk service will cost about $1,500.

Right now, the flights will cater primarily to business and government customers, but if the route becomes financially sustainable, it could boost tourism in Nunavut, Dupuis said.