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| Founded | 1960 (as Greenlandair) | |||
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| Operating bases |
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| Hubs | Kangerlussuaq | |||
| Frequent-flyer program | Miles & More | |||
| Airport lounge | Novia Business Class Lounge | |||
| Subsidiaries |
Subsidiaries List[1]
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| Fleet size | 34[2] | |||
| Destinations | 58 | |||
| Company slogan | We bring out the best | |||
| Parent company |
Ownership
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| Headquarters | Nuuk, Greenland | |||
| Key people | Michael Binzer (CEO) | |||
| Revenue | DKK1,112,900,000 (FY 2009)[1] | |||
| Operating income | DKK50,000,000 (FY 2009)[1] | |||
| Net income | DKK36,800,000 (FY 2009)[1] | |||
| Total assets | DKK611,700,000 (FY 2009)[1] | |||
| Total equity | DKK551,700,000 (FY 2009)[1] | |||
| Website | airgreenland.com | |||
Air Greenland A/S is the flag carrier airline of Greenland, jointly owned by the government of Greenland, and Deutsche Lufthansa. 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. Flights to heliports in the remote settlements are operated on contract with the government of Greenland.
Founded in 1960, the airline started its first services with PBY Catalina water planes, later in the same decade expanding its fleet to include DHC-3 Otter light planes and Sikorsky S-61 helicopters, some of which remain in active service. During the late 1960s and 1970s the majority of aircraft operations in Greenland were based on helicopters. Only in the late 1970s and early 1980s the newly established Greenland Home Rule invested in a network of short takeoff and landing airports, serviced by the new additions to the Air Greenland fleet: the De Havilland Canada Dash-7 turboprops uniquely suited to the harsh terrain and weather conditions in Greenland. The reliability of connections improved as the domestic airport network expanded in the 1990s: the airline was less reliant on weather, with the Dash-7 planes covering the majority of towns in the country. In the late 1990s and early 2000s Air Greenland acquired two airliners, a Boeing 757 and an Airbus A330, opening its first connections to Copenhagen. By 2003, Air Greenland was the only airline providing scheduled services to Denmark.
Besides scheduled services and contractual flights to most villages in the country, the airline operations diversified into specialized charter services for the booming energy and mineral resource industries, as well as the increasing tourism industry in Greenland. Other services involve ambulance flights, supplies to remote research stations, and rescue flights. Air Greenland has two subsidiaries, a travel agency offering flights to tourist destinations such as the inner parts of the Ilulissat Icefjord, and Arctic Umiaq Line, a passenger and cargo ferry, serving coastal communities of western and southern Greenland, and supplementing the airport network.
Contents |
The airline was established on 7 November 1960 as Greenlandair,[3] 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.[4]
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.[3] From 1962 onwards Greenlandair used PBY Catalina water planes and DHC-6 Twin Otters on domestic routes. In 1965, the 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.[5][6]
During the 1970s, Greenlandair invested in a helicopter fleet expansion, increasing the number of Sikorsky S-61 machines from three to eight, which in 1972 allowed the airline to extend its network to the communities in eastern Greenland, with one helicopter based in Tasiilaq, then known as Amassalik.[7] 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 new Bell 206 machines.[7] After its closure in 1990, the mine was inoperational for two decades. It is due to reopen in November 2010,[8] with zinc and iron ore reserves expected to last for 50 years.[9] As in the 1970s, the supply flights to the mine are operated by Air Greenland, using the newer Bell 212 helicopter based at Uummannaq Heliport.[10]
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.[11] By the end of the 1970s, the number of passengers served annually by Greenlandair increased to 60,000,[7] which is more than the total population of Greenland.
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.[11] In order to service the enlarged network, Greenlandair acquired De Havilland Canada Dash-7s,[11] planes particularly suited to the often severe weather conditions in Greenland.[12] The first Dash-7 was delivered on 29 September 1979, with more machines following during the following decade.[13]
Several of the airports built in the 1980s still have no deicing equipment at the airport, which is problematic in Greenlandic winter, causing losses for the airline.[14] The Dash-7 machines remain in active service in Greenland, serving all airports with the exception of Nerlerit Inaat Airport near Ittoqqortoormiit,[6] the operation of which is handed to Air Iceland on contract with the government of Greenland.[15]
In 1981, the airline opened its first route to Iceland, linking the main hub at Kangerlussuaq Airport with Reykjavík Airport via Kulusuk Airport.[11] 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.[11]
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.[16]
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.[16]
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.[16]
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.[16] On 18 April 2002, Greenlandair changed its name to Air Greenland, adopting the new, all-red livery, and changing the logo.[17]
SAS abandoned to route to Copenhagen in 2003, 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.[17] SAS briefly revived the service in 2007[18] dropping it again in January 2009.[19]
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.[20] The contract was renewed for a five-year period in 2008.[21]
The first takeover of another airline took place 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.[22][23]
The SAS Group announced their intention to sell their shares in Air Greenland on 13 June 2007,[24] a move later incorporated in the Core SAS restructuring program of the group.[25][26] As of 2010 the airline has not executed on its decision.
On 1 October 2007 the airline introduced the e-ticket booking system.[27] 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.[27] Reopening of the connection to Iqaluit was considered by Air Greenland in late 2009, but was later postponed until at least 2011.[28] In 2009 the airline carried 399,000 passengers.[1] In 2009, the length of the scheduled service network was 14,235 km (8,845 mi), with the cabin factor (revenue passengers-kilometres expressed as percentage of available seat-kilometres) averaging 79.3%.[1]
On 1 January 2010, Air Greenland suspended its participation in the EuroBonus frequent-flyer program of Scandinavian Airlines (SAS).[29]
In 2011, nonstop service from Narsarsuaq to Copenhagen will no longer be available.[30][31]
In 2011, after the sale of the SAS and Danish Government shares to Lufthansa, Air Greenland now participates in the Miles & More frequent flyer programme.
In order to compete with Air Iceland, which operates service from Reykjavik airport (not Reykjavik-Keflavik) to Nuuk, Narsarsuaq, Ilulissat, and all Greenlandic major airports on the eastern coast,[32] Air Greenland for 2011 may fly a nonstop Nuuk, Greenland to Keflavík International Airport, Iceland route.[33]
Air Greenland's 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.[6]
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.[6]
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.[6] Out of 45 heliports served, 8 are primary, equipped with solid-surface helipads, a terminal building, and permanent staff. The remaining heliports are helistops, with either a gravel or a grass landing area.
The Air Greenland fleet includes the following aircraft (active aircraft as of April, 2011)[34]
The de Havilland Canada Dash 7 is the primary aircraft used by Air Greenland, operating on all domestic airport-to-airport routes. The cockpit doors of all Dash 7 planes are decorated with Inuit art; furthermore, many of the Dash 7s are endowed with names, such as Papikkaaq (Big Tail), Nipiki (Silent), Minniki (Short Lander) and Sapangaq (Pearl). The reliability of this plane design has been successfully demonstrated in the difficult weather conditions in Greenland;[12] however, the four-engine machines, acquired in the 1980s, require frequent repairs, generating high maintenance costs.[12] In 2010 the airline acquired its first de Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q200, followed by another before the start of the summer season.[35] The newer, two-engine Dash 8 Q200 is to become the primary aircraft of the airline in the future.[30]
As of 10 August 2010[update] there are no outstanding plane or helicopter orders, with the airline operating the following aircraft:[5]
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y |
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| Airbus A330-200 | 1 | — | 54 | 191 | 245 | Copenhagen - Kangerlussuaq Charter |
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| Beechcraft B200 King Air | 1 | — | 0 | 7 | 7 | Ambulance Charter |
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| DHC-6-300 (Twin Otter) | 2 | — | 0 | 14 | 14 | Ambulance Charter |
OY-ATY in retro livery |
| Dash 7 | 6 | — | 0 | 50 | 50 | Domestic Charter |
To be phased out |
| Dash 8 Q200 | 3 | [36] | 0 | 37 | 37 | Nuuk – Reykjavík-Keflavík Domestic Charter |
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| Total | 13 | 0 | |||||
The Bell 212 is the primary helicopter used for flights to district villages. The older Sikorsky S-61N machines are stationed in Ilulissat Airport and Qaqortoq Heliport. With a capacity to seat 25 passengers,[31] 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,[33][37] 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,[13] and remain stationed in Kangerlussuaq Airport having been put up for sale.[1]
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers | Routes | Notes | ||
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| C | Y |
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| Bell 212 | 8 | — | 0 | 9 | 9 | Domestic Charter |
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| Bell 222 | 4 | — | 0 | 8 | 8 | Nerlerit Inaat – Ittoqqortoormiit Charter |
3 stored Remaining to be sold |
| Eurocopter AS350 | 10 | — | 0 | 5 | 5 | Domestic Charter |
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| Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma | — | 2 [38] | 0 | 24 | 24 | to be delivered in 2014 | |
| Sikorsky S-61N | 2 | — | 0 | 25 | 25 | Domestic Charter |
To be phased out OY-HAF in retro livery |
| Total | 24 | 2 | |||||
In the past, Air Greenland (also as Greenlandair) used the following aircraft:[39]
The government of Greenland (Kalaallisut: Naalakkersuisut) and the SAS Group are the largest shareholders of the airline, owning a 37.5% stake each. The government of Denmark owns the remaining 25% of the stock. The board of directors, chaired by Julia Pars of the government of Greenland, includes representatives of all shareholders, and of the airline employees.[40] Michael Binzer, previously heading the airline's marketing and sales department, has been holding the position of chief executive officer[40] since June 2007.[41]
Headquartered in Nuuk,[42] the airline had 668 employees in December 2009.[1] The airline's technical base is located at Nuuk Airport.[43]
The charter unit within Air Greenland, led by Hans Peter Hansen, employs 8 people, with 13 helicopters and 3 fixed-wing aircraft at its disposal.[44] Excess capacity of airplanes is used for regular charters to tourist destinations in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
The helicopters, primarily the AS350, are used for special flights, such as search and rescue, air ambulance,[45] charter flights to the Thule Air Base on contract with the U.S. Air Force, geological exploration, and supply flights to the mining sites, and to the research stations on the Greenland ice sheet.[1][44] During the peak summer season, the helicopter crew is supplemented by freelance pilots from Norway and Sweden.[44]
Other charter flights include heliskiing shuttles, services for the developing energy industry involving comprehensive surveys of the optimal location of planned power plants such as the Sisimiut Hydro Power Plant and the aluminium smelting plant in the Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord region, and environmental research: counting polar bears and tracking other large Arctic fauna.[44]
The Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Transport oversees the development of the transport industry in Greenland[46] through Mittarfeqarfiit, the airport authority in Greenland. The ministry exerts 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.
With a 50% stake, Air Greenland is the co-owner of Arctic Umiaq Line (AUL), the passenger and freight ferry. M/S Sarfaq Ittuk of AUL operates a coastal route, feeding passengers from small coastal communities—between Ilulissat in the north and Narsaq in the south—to the larger towns covered by the Air Greenland airport network.[4][47]
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),[48] while allegations of mismanagement of resources and the contested decision to sell one of two of the ships in the fleet[49] contributed to the threat of bankruptcy before the end of 2010.[50] On 16 March 2010, Air Greenland announced plans to divest its stock.[51] 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.[50]
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.[1][47]
Air Greenland offers flexible and restricted economy class on all flights operated with fixed-wing aircraft, with complimentary snacks and drinks.[52] 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,[53] with general information about current political and cultural events in Greenland, and with news from the airline. The word Suluk means wing in the Greenlandic language.
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.[54] The service includes a personal video screen, an in-seat power source, an amenity kit, blankets and a selection of newspapers.[54][55] Passengers travelling on this class are eligible to use the Novia Business Class Lounge at Copenhagen Airport.[54]
Air Greenland operates helicopter flights to most settlements in Greenland on contract with the government of Greenland.[56] with the destination network coordinated by the Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Transport.[46] The flights are classified as settlement flights[52] (booking class A), and are subsidized by the government. Settlement flights are not featured in the timetable, although they can be pre-booked.[6]
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.[57]
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