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Air Greenland

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Air Greenland
File:Air Greenland.svg
IATA ICAO Call sign
GL GRL GREENLAND
Founded1960 (as Greenlandair)
HubsKangerlussuaq Airport
Focus citiesNuuk Airport
Ilulissat Airport
Frequent-flyer programnone
SubsidiariesHotel Arctic A/S
Greenland Travel
Fleet size38
Destinations58
HeadquartersNuuk, Greenland
Key peopleMichael Binzer (CEO)
RevenueDecrease DKK1,112,900,000 (2009)[1]
Websiteairgreenland.com

Air Greenland A/S is the flag carrier airline of Greenland, owned by the Government of Greenland with a 37.5% stake, by the SAS Group with a 37.5% stake, and by the Government of Denmark with a 25% stake. Headquartered in Nuuk,[2] the airline had 668 employees in December 2009.[1]

Air Greenland operates a fleet of 37 aircraft,[3] including one Airbus A330-200 used for transatlantic and charter flights, 10 fixed-wing aircraft serving the domestic network and connections to Iceland, and 26 helicopters feeding passengers from the smaller communities into the domestic airport network.[3] Flights to the remote settlements are operated on contract with the Government of Greenland,[4] with the destination network coordinated by the Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Transport.[5]

DHC-6 Twin Otters are used for ambulance and charter flights, including the research base at Summit Camp.

The airline also operates charter, taxi and special flights, such as search and rescue, air ambulance,[6] charter flights to the Thule Air Base on contract with the U.S. Air Force, and supply flights to the mining sites, and to the research stations on the Greenland ice sheet.[1] In 2009, the length of the scheduled service network was 14,235 km (8,845 mi), with the cabin factor averaging at 79.3%.[1]

History

1960s

Sikorsky S-61N helicopter, acquired in 1965, is the oldest machine in the fleet.

The airline was established on 7 November 1960 as Greenlandair,[7] founded by SAS Group (then known as Scandinavian Airlines System) and by Kryolitselskabet Øresund, a Danish mining company with operations in the former settlement of Ivittuut. In 1962, the ownership of the airline was extended to the then provincial government of Greenland and to Royal Arctic Line, then known as Den Kongelige Grønlandske Handel.[8]

The first flights serving the American bases in Greenland were operated with the lightweight DHC-3 Otters, and the Sikorsky S-55 helicopters chartered from Canada.[7] From 1962 onwards Greenlandair used PBY Catalina water planes and DHC-6 Twin Otters on domestic routes. In 1965, Douglas DC-4 became the first larger aircraft used by Greenlandair, followed by Sikorsky S-61 helicopters. The latter have remained in use since then, as of 2010 serving the communities in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland year-round, and the towns and villages of Disko Bay during winter.[9][3]

1970s

Bell 212, here taking off from the Ukkusissat Heliport en route to Uummannaq Heliport, also services commercial mining activities at Maamorilik.

During the 1970s, Greenlandair invested in a helicopter fleet expansion, increasing the number of Sikorsky S-61 machines from three to eight,[10] which in 1972[10] allowed the airline to extend its network to the communities in eastern Greenland, with one helicopter based in Tasiilaq, then known as Ammassalik. Later the airline also operated the Douglas DC-6 aircraft, an upgrade of the older DC-4 model.

Commercial mining at the Maamorilik site on the mainland northeast of the Ukkusissat settlement in the inner regions of Uummannaq Fjord spurned further investment in the helicopter fleet, with the newly acquired Bell 206 machines.[10] After its closure in 1990, the mine is due to reopen in November 2010,[11] with zinc and iron ore reserves expected to last for 50 years.[12] The supply flights to the mine are again operated by Air Greenland, using the newer Bell 212 helicopter based at Uummannaq Heliport.[13]

In the past the airline attempted to expand the destination network several times. The first international route of Air Greenland was opened in 1979, between Nuuk and Iqaluit in Nunavut, Canada. It was closed 13 years later.[14] By the end of the 1970s, the number of passengers served annually by Greenlandair increased to 60,000,[10] or more than the total population of Greenland.

1980s

Air Greenland uses the 102 and 103 variants of the Dash-7, the latter equipped with a front cargo section, seen here at Kulusuk Airport

In the early 1980s, the newly established Greenland Home Rule decided to invest in the regional network of airports, with short take-off and landing (STOL) capable airports built in Nuuk, Ilulissat, and Kulusuk.[14] In order to service the enlarged network Greenlandair acquired De Havilland Canada Dash-7s,[14] planes particularly suited to the often severe weather conditions in Greenland.[15] The first Dash-7 was delivered on 29 September 1979, with more machines following during the following decade.[16]

Several of the airports built at that time still have no deicing equipment at the airport, which is problematic in Greenlandic winter, causing losses for the airline.[17] The Dash-7 machines remain in active service in Greenland, serving all airports with the exception of Nerlerit Inaat Airport near Ittoqqortoormiit,[9] the operation of which is handed to Air Iceland on contract with the Government of Greenland.[18]

In 1981, the airline opened its first route to Iceland, linking the main hub at Kangerlussuaq Airport with Reykjavík Airport via Kulusuk Airport.[14] Towards the end of the decade the number of employees rose to 400, with the number of passengers served exceeding 100,000 annually for the first time.[14]

1990s

Boeing 757-200 was used by the airline between 1998 and 2010 on the Kangerlussuaq-Copenhagen and Narsarsuaq-Copenhagen transatlantic routes.

In May 1998, Greenlandair began operating its first jet aircraft, a Boeing 757-200. Continuing with the tradition of giving personal names to its aircraft, the airline named the airliner Kunuunnguaq, in honor of the Greenlandic explorer and ethnologist, Knud Rasmussen, whose bust decorates in the terminal of Kangerlussuaq Airport, the main hub of the airline.[19]

With that purchase the airline planned to break the SAS monopoly on the profitable Kangerlussuaq–Copenhagen route, with operations beginning immediately after the purchase of the 757. The network of regional airports was extended during the decade, with several new STOL airports constructed: Sisimiut Airport, Maniitsoq Airport, and Aasiaat Airport in western Greenland; Qaarsut Airport and Upernavik Airport in northwestern Greenland.[19]

Having acquired its fifth Dash-7, Greenlandair was for the first time since its inception able to provide plane services to all major towns in Greenland; Uummannaq town is served by Qaarsut Airport in conjunction with Uummannaq Heliport. In 1999, the airline served 282,000 passengers, nearly three times as many as by the end of the previous decade.[19]

2000s

The new Air Greenland logo and livery on the engine of a Boeing 757-200 at Kangerlussuaq Airport

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the airline sought to renew its aging fleet, retiring several of its S-61 and 206 helicopters, replacing the latter with Bell 212s and AS350 Eurocopters.[19] On 18 April 2002, Greenlandair changed its name to Air Greenland, adopting the new, all-red livery, and changing the logo.[20]

By 2003, SAS abandoned to route to Copenhagen, leaving Air Greenland as the only carrier linking Greenland with mainland Europe. The airline was able to fill in the gap in service with the newly acquired Airbus A330-200, nicknamed Norsaq, the second airliner in the fleet of the airline.[20] SAS briefly revived the service in 2008, dropping it again in January 2009.

In 2003, Air Greenland won the U.S. Air Force contract for flights to Thule Air Base (previously held by SAS) with flights starting in February 2004.[21] The contract was renewed for a five-year period in 2008.[22]

The route from Kulusuk Airport to Iceland, previously operated with de Havilland Canada Dash-7 planes, was handed over to Air Iceland on a government contract.[18]

On 28 July 2006, Air Greenland acquired Air Alpha Greenland, a subsidiary of Air Alpha, an aircraft company based in Odense, Denmark. The acquired company operated helicopter flights in the Disko Bay region, and in eastern Greenland. Since the takeover, the Bell 222 helicopters are still used by Air Greenland for passenger transfers between Nerlerit Inaat Airport and Ittoqqortoormiit Heliport.[23][24]

On 13 June 2007, the SAS Group announced their intention to sell their shares in Air Greenland,[25] a move later incorporated in the Core SAS restructuring program of the group.[26][27] As of 2010 the airline has not executed on its decision.

On 1 October 2007 the airline introduced the e-ticket booking system.[28] The service to Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States was opened in the summer of 2007, but due to poor ticket sales it was closed in March 2008.[28] Reopening of the connection to Iqaluit was considered by Air Greenland in late 2009, but was later postponed until at least 2011.[29] In 2009 the airline carried 399,000 passengers.[1]

2010s

Cabin crew and interior of the 757-200, sold in April 2010

On 1 January 2010, Air Greenland suspended its participation in the EuroBonus frequent-flyer program of Scandinavian Airlines.[30] The sale of its Boeing 757-200 Kunuunnguaq followed in April. The Narsarsuaq–Copenhagen service is operated by a Boeing 757-200 of Air Finland[31].

In 2010, after the tourist season (May-September) this service will be replaced by a two-leg connection with a transfer in Kangerlussuaq, with the domestic leg operated by the new de Havilland Canada Dash-8 Q200 aircraft.[32][33]

In order to compete with Air Iceland, which operates services to Nuuk, Narsarsuaq, Ilulissat, and all airports on the eastern coast,[34] Air Greenland announced opening of new connections with Iceland,[32] linking Nuuk and Narsarsuaq with Keflavík International Airport, later restricting it to Nuuk.[35] In 2010, the route will be operated in May–June and September, with a possible extension to full-season in 2011.[35]

Destinations

Bell 212 helicopters shuttle passengers between helicopter hubs and regional airports.
Main article: Air Greenland destinations

Air Greenland domestic airport network includes all 13 civilian airports within Greenland. Two international airports capable of serving large airliners—Kangerlussuaq Airport and Narsarsuaq Airport—were formerly used as U.S. Air Force military bases, and have been used for transatlantic flights.[9]

All other regional airports are STOL-capable, and are served with Dash-7 and Dash-8 fixed-wing aircraft. Outside Greenland, the airline operates transatlantic flights to Keflavík International Airport in Iceland, and to Copenhagen Airport in Denmark.[9]

Smaller communities are served by settlement flights from the local helicopter hubs in Upernavik Airport in the Upernavik Archipelago in northwestern Greenland, in Uummannaq Heliport in the Uummannaq Fjord region in northwestern Greenland, in Ilulissat Airport and Aasiaat Airport in the Disko Bay region in western Greenland, in Qaqortoq Heliport and Nanortalik Heliport in southern Greenland, and in Tasiilaq Heliport in southeastern Greenland.[9] Out of 45 heliports served, 8 are primary; the remainder are helistops.

Fleet

Dash-7 and the Bell 212 helicopter are the two primary workhorses, serving the majority of domestic destinations in Greenland.

Fixed-wing fleet

De Havilland Canada Dash-7 are the primary aircraft used by Air Greenland, operating all domestic airport to airport routes. The cockpit doors of all Dash-7 planes are decorated with Inuit artwork. The reliability of these planes has been successfully tested in the difficult weather conditions in Greenland,[15] however the four-engine machines acquired in the 1980s require frequent repairs, generating high maintenance costs.[15] In 2010 the airline acquired the first de Havilland Canada Dash-8 Q200,[36] with another on order. The newer, two-engine Dash-8 is to become the primary aircraft of the airline in the future.[32]

Beechcraft King Air "Amaalik" undergoes maintenance at the airline base in Nuuk Airport.

Air Greenland operates the following aircraft (on 24 May 2010):[3]

Dash-8 turboprop planes are the newest additions to the airline fleet as of July 2010, used for scheduled flights and charters, such as the shuttle flights for the Inuit Circumpolar Council 2010 conference in Nuuk.
Air Greenland Plane Fleet
Aircraft In Fleet Orders Passengers Routes
Airbus A330-200 1 0 245 Kangerlussuaq – Copenhagen, charters
Beechcraft B200 King Air 1 0 7 Ambulance, charters
Dash-6 Twin Otter 2 0 18 Ambulance, charters
Dash-7 6 0 50 Domestic
Dash-8 Q200 2 0 37 Nuuk – Reykjavík-Keflavík, domestic

Helicopter fleet

Airbus A330-200 Norsaq landing in Copenhagen Airport

The Bell 212 is the primary helicopter used for settlement flights. The older Sikorsky S-61N machines are stationed in Ilulissat Airport and Qaqortoq Heliport. With a capacity to seat 25 passengers,[37] the S-61 based in southern Greenland was used to shuttle passengers arriving from Copenhagen at Narsarsuaq Airport. The sale of the Boeing 757 in April 2010 contributed to the long-term decline of the airport,[38][39] with the airline planning to remove the old helicopter from the fleet.[1] Three of the Bell 222 helicopters are taken out of active service,[16] and remain stationed in Kangerlussuaq Airport having been put up for sale.[1]

Chartered Boeing 757-200 at Leipzig/Halle Airport, Germany. (2006)
Air Greenland Helicopter Fleet
Aircraft Total Passengers Routes
Bell 212 7 9 Domestic
Bell 222 4 (3 stored) 8 Nerlerit Inaat – Ittoqqortoormiit
Eurocopter AS350 13 5 Domestic
Sikorsky S-61 2 25 Domestic

Historical Fleet

In the past Air Greenland used the following aircraft:[40]

Service

Catering in economy class on the transatlantic flight from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq

Economy and Business class

Air Greenland offers flexible and restricted economy class on all flights operated with fixed-wing aircraft, with complimentary snacks and drinks.[41] On transatlantic flights to Copenhagen, both economy class and business class seats are available, with in-flight meals served in all classes. Air Greenland publishes a quarterly Suluk in-flight magazine,[42] with general information about current political and cultural events in Greenland, and with news from the airline.

"Nanoq" Business Class seats in the Airbus A330-200 "Norsaq"

The flexible business class offered by Air Greenland—nicknamed Nanoq-Class from the Greenlandic word for a polar bear—is offered on the transatlantic flights operated with the Airbus A330-200, nicknamed Norsaq.[43] The service includes a personal video screen, an in-seat power source, an amenity kit, blankets and a selection of newspapers.[43][44] Passengers travelling on this class are eligible to use the Novia Business Class Lounge at Copenhagen Airport.[43]

Settlement flights

Ukkusissat Heliport is served by passenger-cargo settlement flights.

Air Greenland operates helicopter flights to most settlements in Greenland on contract with the Government of Greenland.[4] The flights are classified as settlement flights[41] (booking class A), and are subsidized by the government. Settlement flights are not featured in the timetable, although they can be pre-booked.[9]

Departure times for these flights as specified during booking are by definition approximate, with the settlement service optimized on the fly depending on local demand for a given day. Settlement flights in the Disko Bay region are unique in that they are operated only during winter and spring. During summer and autumn, communication between settlements is by sea only, also on a governmental contract, with services operated by Diskoline, a passenger and freight ferry based in Ilulissat.[45]

Subsidiary companies

M/S Sarfaq Ittuk of Arctic Umiaq Line operates a coastal route, feeding passengers from small coastal communities to the larger towns covered by the Air Greenland airport network.

The Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Transport oversees the development of the transport industry in Greenland[5] through Mittarfeqarfiit, the Greenlandic Airport Authority, exerting influence on the decisions made by the either partially or wholly state-owned companies, including airport taxes, the pricing policy of Air Greenland, the network of maritime connections supplementing the network of airports and heliports, and the tourism development strategy for Greenland.

Arctic Umiaq Line

Main article: Arctic Umiaq Line

With a 50% stake, Air Greenland is the co-owner of Arctic Umiaq Line, the passenger and freight ferry linking coastal communities from Ilulissat in the north to Narsaq in the south.[8][46]

The ferry entered a turbulent period in the late 2000s. Annual state subsidies from the Government of Greenland amounted to 5 million Danish krone (DKK),[47] while allegations of mismanagement of resources and the contested decision to sell one of two of the ships in the fleet[48] contributed to the threat of bankruptcy before the end of 2010.[49] On 16 March 2010, Air Greenland announced plans to divest its stock.[50] This announcement of the airline makes it likely that the forecast bankruptcy may still take place in 2010; the operations are guaranteed only until the end of the year.[49]

Air Greenland hangars at the airline's technical base in Nuuk Airport.

Tourism companies

Air Greenland wholly owns Hotel Arctic A/S, a hotel and travel agency based in Ilulissat, which partially owns World of Greenland, an outfitter company also based in Ilulissat. The airline also owns Greenland Travel, a package-tour travel agency based in Copenhagen.[46][1]

Accidents and incidents

  • On 29 August 1961, a DHC-3 Otter with registration CF-MEX crashed 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Kangerlussuaq. The aircraft was a non-scheduled service en-route from Kangerlussuaq Airport to Aasiaat Airport, when a fuel leak caused an in-flight fire. One of the pilots was killed, while the other pilot and the four passengers survived.[51]
  • On 12 May 1962, a Catalina with registration CF-IHA crashed during landing at Nuuk. The accident was caused by a mechanical malfunctioning in the nose wheel doors causing it to remain open while the flying boat landed on water, causing the aircraft to sink into the water. The accident killed 15 of the 21 people on board.[52]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Annual Report 2009" (PDF). Air Greenland. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  2. ^ "Contact". Air Greenland. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d "Fleet: Aircraft and Helicopters". Air Greenland. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  4. ^ a b "Trafikforhold" (in Danish). Government of Greenland. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Transport". Government of Greenland. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  6. ^ "Charter". Air Greenland. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  7. ^ a b Air Greenland 50th Anniversary "Grønlandsfly 1960-69" (in Danish). Air Greenland. Retrieved 16 May 2010. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  8. ^ a b "Hotel Arctic". Hotel Arctic. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Booking system". Air Greenland. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  10. ^ a b c d Air Greenland 50th Anniversary "Grønlandsfly 1970-79" (in Danish). Air Greenland. Retrieved 16 May 2010. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  11. ^ "Maarmorilik udvides". Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (in Danish). 27 April 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  12. ^ "Maarmorilik har zink og jern til 50 år". Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (in Danish). 27 April 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  13. ^ "Black Angel News, the newsletter about the Black Angel Project in Greenland" (PDF). Angelmining plc. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  14. ^ a b c d e Air Greenland 50th Anniversary "Grønlandsfly 1980-89" (in Danish). Air Greenland. Retrieved 17 May 2010. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  15. ^ a b c Michael Binzer (Air Greenland) (2003). Air Greenland Airbus A330-200, Boeing 757-200, Dash 7 & Sikorsky 61 (DVD). Just Planes Videos. ISBN 1-931438-85-4.
  16. ^ a b "Suluk 2010 No.1" (PDF). Air Greenland. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  17. ^ "Defective equipment costs Air Greenland millions". Sermitsiaq. 18 November 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  18. ^ a b "Annual Report 2006". Icelandair Group. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  19. ^ a b c d Air Greenland 50th Anniversary "Grønlandsfly 1990-99" (in Danish). Air Greenland. Retrieved 16 May 2010. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  20. ^ a b Air Greenland 50th Anniversary "Air Greenland 2000-09" (in Danish). Air Greenland. Retrieved 16 May 2010. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  21. ^ "Annual Report 2004" (PDF). Air Greenland. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  22. ^ "Air Greenland skal fortsat servicere Thule Air Base". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 22 August 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  23. ^ "Air Greenlandip Air Alpha Greenland pisiarilerpaa". Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (in Greenlandic). 28 July 2006. Retrieved 17 May 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  24. ^ "Air Alphas epoke i Grønland slut". Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (in Danish). 28 July 2006. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  25. ^ "New direction will ensure SASs future". SAS Group. 13 June 2007. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  26. ^ "SAS i krise: SAS-sjefen har stor tro på fremtiden". e24.no (in Norwegian). 3 February 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  27. ^ "SAS sælger Air Greenland aktier". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 3 February 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  28. ^ a b "Annual Report 2008" (PDF). Air Greenland. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  29. ^ "Iqaluit rute udsat". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 18 September 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  30. ^ "Air Greenland dropper Eurobonus". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 21 October 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  31. ^ "Farvel til Kunuunnguaq". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 26 April 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  32. ^ a b c "Stor interesse for debat med Binzer". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 18 November 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  33. ^ "Fleet: Aircraft and Helicopters: Dash-8-200". Air Greenland. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  34. ^ "Air Iceland's Destinations". Air Iceland. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  35. ^ a b "Erhvervsliv raser mod Air Greenland". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 14 April 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  36. ^ "Første Dash-8 lander i Nuuk". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 30 April 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  37. ^ "Fleet: Aircraft and Helicopters: Dash-8-200". Air Greenland. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  38. ^ "Erhvervsliv raser mod Air Greenland". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 14 April 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  39. ^ "Sermitsiaq mener: Farvel til atlantruten". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 3 May 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  40. ^ Overview of historical fleet with photographs, Air Greenland, retrieved 17 May 2010
  41. ^ a b "Our travel products". Air Greenland. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  42. ^ "Suluk, our In-flight magazine". Air Greenland. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  43. ^ a b c "Business Class". Air Greenland. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  44. ^ "Suluk 2009 No.4" (PDF). Air Greenland. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  45. ^ "Timetable". Diskoline. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  46. ^ a b "Subsidiary Companies". Air Greenland. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  47. ^ "Uvis skæbne for kystsejlads". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 27 January 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  48. ^ "Tidligere AUL-direktør stævnet for 15,5 millioner kroner". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 10 September 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  49. ^ a b "Vil undgå at AUL begynder at afvikle". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 27 November 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  50. ^ "Kystsejladsen stopper måske". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 16 March 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  51. ^ "29 Aug 1961". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
  52. ^ "12 May 1962". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
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