International flights have been suspended at the airport serving Greenland’s capital city.
In a statement, Greenland Airports, which owns and operates all civilian airports in the territory, said Danish transportation officials have suspended security checks for international travelers passing through Nuuk Airport because staff there have not received adequate training. Without security checks in place, international flights cannot operate, the agency said.
“We are working intensively with the Danish Transport Authority to address the specific conditions identified in the training,” the statement read. “The goal is to restore normal operations for international traffic as soon as possible.”
The suspension went into effect Tuesday with little advance notice. According to CBS News, a United flight traveling from Newark, New Jersey, to Nuuk had to turn around while over Canada.
Domestic flights to and from Nuuk are not affected and are operating as normal.
Greenland Airports said that, “in the near future,” travelers departing Greenland on certain international routes will be able to be screened at Kangerlussuaq Airport and Narsarsuaq Airport.
Nuuk, Kangerlussuaq, and Narsarsuaq are the only airports in Greenland with runways large enough to accommodate large passenger aircraft.
Kangerlussuaq was the largest and busiest airport in Greenland in 2024, but that distinction may shift to Nuuk this year after an ambitious renovation and expansion program. Air Greenland, the territory’s state-owned flag carrier, also relocated its main hub from Kangerlussuaq to Nuuk.
Tuesday’s suspension of service at Nuuk came one day after United announced it would resume summer flights to Greenland in 2026. The seasonal route is the only nonstop flight between the U.S. and Greenland.
