Greenland Considers Shorter Runway in Qaqortoq

Following two tender competitions in which no tenders were submitted within the budgeted range of DKK 670 million, the company in charge of Greenland’s airports, Kalaallit Airports, argues that there are now two options: Either find more money for airport development and construction, or shorten the length of the planned runway in Qaqortoq, Sermitsiaq reports.

Minister (Naalakkersuisok) Naaja Nathanielsen has received a report concluding that the best option would be shortening the runway from the planned 1,500 meters to 1,199 or 1,000 meters. That could be done with in the budget framework and would be the best option from a socio-economic perspective.

Nathanielsen points out that shortening the runway length would require a decision by Inatsisartut, the Greenlandic self-rule parliament. The other parties are currently discussing the matter, and some of them are willing to shorten the runway length.