from Let’s go to Greenland Landed in the capital Nuuk by an American airline on Saturday night and will be on a return flight on Sunday morning.
United Airlines operates Boeing 737 Max 8 departed from Newark International Airport in New Jersey at 11:31 AM (GMT) on Saturday and arrived at 6:39 PM (GMT) local time in more than four hours.Flight tracking website Flightaware.
One-way fare from Newark to Nuuk is about $1,200. Return flights are $1,300 to $1,500.
Saturday’s flight marks the United States withArctic IslandIn the past 20 years. In 2007, Greenland Airlines launched a route between the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Kangerlussuaq Airport, about 315 kilometers (195 miles) north of York. It was abandoned in the second year due to the cost.
Warren Rieutort-Louis, a 38-year-old passenger from San Francisco, decided to visit Nuuk for only one night, becoming part of the historical flight.
“I’ve been to Greenland before, but I’ve never been around like this.
United Airlines flight took place on the 79th birthday of U.S. President Donald Trump, which was part of the military, held a controversial military parade in Washington.Long-term plan 250th anniversary celebration.
Trump repeatedly said he seeks control of Greenland, a strategic Arctic island that is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, withoutExclude military forces.
Denmark, NATO allies and Greenland’s government says yesNot for saleAnd condemned the United States’ reports of intensifying intelligence gatherings on mineral-rich islands.
United announced the flight and its date in October, before Trump was re-elected. It plans to take advantage of the new Nuuk Airport in 2025, which opens in late November and has a larger runway for larger jets.
“Manchester United will be the only airline that connects the United States directly to Nuuk, the world’s northernmost capital, providing a portal to world-class hiking and fascinating wildlife in the midnight summer sun,” the company said in a statement at the time.
Saturday’s flight started two airlines’ weekly seasonal services between Newark and Nuuk. The plane has about 165 seats.
Previously, travelers had to make a stopover in Iceland or Copenhagen, Denmark before flying to Greenland.
Greenland Government Minister Naaja Nathanielsen said the new flight would be beneficial to the island’s operations and residents.
Visitors will spend money at local businesses and Greenlanders themselves will be able to travel to the United States more easily, Minister of Commerce, Mineral Resources, Energy, Justice and Gender Equality,Tell the Danish Broadcasting Corporation PhD.She said the route is also an important part of diversifying the island’s economy. Fishing produces 90% of Greenland’s exports.
Tourism is becoming increasingly important. In 2023, more than 96,000 international passengers traveled through the country’s airport, a 28% increase from 2015.
Jessica Litolff, a 26-year-old passenger from Louisiana, said she also hopes the new route will benefit the United States and Greenland.
“It’s only four and a half hours in terms of distance, so by flying you can get to Greenland faster than some parts of the United States,” she said.
Visit Greenland responded to Nathanielsen’s comments. The government’s Tourism Bureau has no forecast on how much new flights will bring to the island.
“We do know that not only does flights bring more money, but we want it to have a positive impact on society and travelers,” Tanny Por, head of international relations at Greenland, told the Associated Press in an email.
Aria Varasteh, a 34-year-old traveler from Washington, wants to travel to Greenland for a “long time”.
“I do want us to be warmly welcomed by the locals. From the people I’ve already talked to, it seems they’re happy to bring us here,” Varast said. “So we’re happy to be here, just the best version of ourselves.”
This story was originally fortune.com
