You can now fly nonstop from the US to Greenland for the 1st time in 20 years
The first direct scheduled flight from US' Newark airport to Nuuk's airport is landing in Nuuk, Greenland, on June 14, 2025. United Airlines flight from the US has been in transit for four hours to the new international airport in Nuuk. (Photo by Mad
NUUK, Greenland - For the first time in 20 years, you can now fly directly from the U.S. to Greenland by an American airline.
The first flight landed in the capital city of Nuuk Saturday evening and is set to make its return flight on Sunday morning.
Dig deeper:
The United Airlines-operated Boeing 737 Max 8 departed from Newark International Airport in New Jersey at 11:31 a.m. EDT on Saturday and arrived a little over four hours later, at 6:39 p.m. local time, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.
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Saturday's flight marks the first direct passage between the U.S. and the Arctic island in nearly 20 years. In 2007, Air Greenland launched a route between Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Kangerlussuaq Airport, some 195 miles north of Nuuk. It was scrapped the following year due to cost.
Saturday's flight kicked off the airline’s twice weekly seasonal service, from June to September, between Newark and Nuuk. The plane has around 165 seats.
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Previously, travelers had to take a layover in Iceland or Copenhagen, Denmark, before flying to Greenland.
The new flight is beneficial for the island's business and residents, according to Greenland government minister Naaja Nathanielsen.
By the numbers:
A one-way ticket from Newark to Nuuk cost roughly $1,200. The return flight had a $1,300 to $1,500 price tag.
Local perspective:
Warren Rieutort-Louis, a 38-year-old passenger from San Francisco, decided to visit Nuuk for just one night to be a part of the historic flight.
"I’ve been to Greenland before, but never this way around. I came the other way through Europe, so to be able to come straight is really amazing," Rieutort-Louis said after the plane landed.
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Jessica Litolff, a 26-year-old passenger from Louisiana, said she also hopes the new route will benefit the U.S. and Greenland.
"Distance-wise it’s only like four and a half hours, so by flying you can get to Greenland faster than you can to some parts of the United States," she said.
Aria Varasteh, a 34-year-old traveler from Washington, had wanted to travel to Greenland "for a very long time."
"I do hope that we receive a warm reception from the locals. From those I’ve talked to already, it seems that they’re excited to have us here," Varasteh said. "And so we’re excited to be here and just be the best versions of ourselves."
The backstory:
The United Airlines flight took place on U.S. President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, which was celebrated in Washington with a controversial military parade that was part of the Army’s long-planned 250th anniversary celebration.
Trump has repeatedly said he seeks control of Greenland, a strategic Arctic island that’s a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, and has not ruled out military force.
The governments of Denmark, a NATO ally, and Greenland have said it is not for sale and condemned reports of the U.S. stepping up intelligence gathering on the mineral-rich island.
United announced the flight and its date in October, before Trump was re-elected. It was scheduled for 2025 to take advantage of the new Nuuk airport, which opened in late November and features a larger runway for bigger jets.
What they're saying:
"United will be the only carrier to connect the U.S. directly to Nuuk — the northernmost capital in the world, providing a gateway to world-class hiking and fascinating wildlife under the summer’s midnight sun," the company said in a statement at the time.
Visit Greenland echoed Nathanielsen's comments. The government's tourism agency did not have projections on how much money the new flights would bring to the island.
"We do know that flights can bring in much more than just dollars, and we expect it to have a positive impact -- both for the society and travellers," Tanny Por, Visit Greenland's head of international relations, told The Associated Press in an email.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from flight data provided by FlightAware, statements from United Airlines and Greenland’s government officials, and interviews with passengers aboard the inaugural flight. This story was reported from Los Angeles.