Greenland opens new international airport to lure tourists as it eyes future independence

ILULISSAT, Greenland (AP) — Greenland has opened a new international airport, seeking to lure visitors from around the world as the Arctic island looks toward eventual independence from Denmark.

Thursday's inaugural international flight between Copenhagen, Denmark, and Ilulissat, Greenland, was part of the island government's efforts to grow its tourism industry to boost and diversify an economy still reliant on fishing.

Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen described the new airport as “one of the biggest investments” in the island’s history. Nielsen was one of 169 passengers on Thursday's 4.5-hour flight on an Airbus A330neo. An Associated Press journalist also took the flight, operated by government-owned Air Greenland, as part of a trip organized by tourism agency Visit Greenland, for this story.

“If Greenland wants to be independent, we need to have a strong foundation, both economically and in terms of industry and business,” Nielsen told the AP before the plane departed.

The strategic island, home to roughly 56,000 people, has been a focus of U.S. President Donald Trump since his first term, when he initially expressed his desire to acquire Greenland. His repeated threats to seize the territory from Denmark, a NATO ally, during his second term prompted months of tensions with other NATO allies. In September, Trump signed an agreement with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland to strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic.

“There’s no doubt that it has been a shadow over the entire Kingdom of Denmark, but especially Greenland,” said Danish Finance Minister Peter Hummelgaard, who also took the inaugural flight. “The opening of this new international airport marks, I think, hope and optimism.”

Ilulissat, known as the "City of Icebergs," sits along the island's western coast and is home to some 5,000 people. Greenland's third-largest city is also one of the island's most-visited destinations. More than 550 kilometers (342 miles) north of the capital, Nuuk, its tourism offerings range from sled dog tours to icefjord cruises in picturesque Disko Bay, known for its towering icebergs.

Previously, travelers reaching Ilulissat had to arrive by cruise ship, take a small plane from Iceland or fly to one of Greenland’s international hubs and connect to smaller aircraft. There are no road connections from other big towns.

For decades, Greenland’s main international aviation gateways were former U.S. military air bases, distant echoes of World War II, in Kangerlussuaq and Narsarsuaq. Locals and international visitors had to land there before catching smaller aircraft to the island's major towns, including Ilulissat and Nuuk. That changed in late 2024, when an international airport opened in Nuuk.

United Airlines last year began a new seasonal route between Nuuk and Newark, New Jersey. The inaugural flight was the first direct from the U.S. to Greenland by an American airline.

The Ilulissat airport, meanwhile, has a 5,000-square-meter (53,820 square feet) terminal and a new 2,200-meter (1.37-mile) runway, long enough to accommodate larger passenger aircraft. Air Greenland has committed to as many as six weekly flights between Copenhagen and Ilulissat during next year’s peak summer months, and Icelandair will also fly large jets from its Keflavik hub. Jens R. Lauridsen, CEO of Greenland Airports, said the company is also hoping to lure airlines in the U.S. and mainland Europe to serve Ilulissat.

“It’s quite wonderful that you can go directly right now,” said Kirsten Berthelsen, a 35-year-old Ilulissat resident and student who booked a ticket for Thursday's flight without realizing it was the inaugural service. “Sometimes it’s quite difficult to travel from Nuuk and to other countries.”

While the number of international visitors to Greenland has grown by at least 65% since 2018, reaching almost 150,000 in 2024, the expected travel boom has yet to materialize. In 2024, tourism accounted for less than 5% of the territory's GDP. Infrastructure, including hotel capacity, remains limited.

Aalborg University associate professor Carina Ren, who specializes in Arctic tourism, said some U.S. tourists were even deterred from visiting the island because of the recent Trump standoff, with a few canceling their flights.

“I’ve heard of people canceling their bookings, but also others canceling because they were afraid that perhaps they would not be welcomed,” she said, adding that many Americans still visit, particularly on cruise ships.

Even so, there are some local concerns about mass tourism and potential damage to Greenland’s fragile nature.

Palle Jerimiassen, a former regional mayor, said he fears the city's environment, population and infrastructure may be overwhelmed by too many visitors.

“How many can we invite?” he said. “We are welcoming all the tourists, it’s a possibility to earn some new money."

He added: "But we have to be careful.”

An airport worker waves Greenlandic flags at the opening of the new Ilulissat international airport in Ilulissat, Greenland Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

An Air Greenland A330neo is parked on the tarmac after completing the first-ever direct flight from Copenhagen to Ilulissat, in Ilulissat, Greenland Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

Icebergs flow from Disko Bay icefjord, near to the arctic city Ilulissat, Greenland Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

Passengers disembark an Air Greenland A330neo, after completing the first-ever direct flight from Copenhagen to Ilulissat, in Ilulissat, Greenland Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

Icebergs seen throughout the window of a plane at the first-ever direct flight from Copenhagen to lulissat, Greenland Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

U.S. futures are rebounding from a major market sell-off Friday with a boost from sharply declining oil prices on hopes for progress in diplomatic efforts between the U.S. and Iran.

Futures for the S&P 500 advanced 0.5% Monday, while those for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6%. Nasdaq futures rose 0.8%.

U.S. stocks fell Friday in their worst day since June as investors dumped artificial intelligence and tech stocks. There is growing concern that the massive investments in AI will not pay off, at least not fast enough.

Apple will report its latest earnings results after the bell Monday along with Palantir Technologies. Advanced Micro Devices will report its quarterly results on Tuesday.

Last week, earnings reports from Google parent Alphabet Inc. and Amazon rattled markets and raised fresh questions over whether their massive AI-related spending.

Shares of both Marvell and Lumentum are falling after the announcement of an all-stock deal for Lumentum worth about $115 billion, including debt. Marvell, despite the aggressive pullback in AI stocks last week, believes the investment is still warranted.

Markets appear less certain. Marvell slid more than 1% before the opening bell and Lumentum fell almost 3%.

Oil prices dropped Monday, with Brent crude, the international standard, down 4.2% to $108.68 per barrel. Still, that’s much higher than the roughly $65 that a barrel of crude was selling for at this time last year.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell 4.2%, to $99.74 a barrel, compared with $61 per barrel at this time last February.

Iran’s top diplomat said in an interview shared on his Telegram channel over the weekend that Iranian negotiators were in Qatar for talks on a proposal that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if the U.S. meets several conditions. However, he said no direct talks were being held with the U.S.

The final outcome of the diplomatic efforts to avoid a return to all-out war depends on answers provided by the United States to the “Iranian questions,” he said.

Wall Street is also waiting for the outcome of Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections. Voters across the political spectrum have shown increasing concerns about AI and data centers, along with inflation and other key issues.

There is critical U.S. economic data arriving Friday when the government issues its October jobs report. In September, U.S. employers added a disappointing 29,000 jobs and the unemployment rate ticked up to a still-low 4.2%.

In equities trading, shares of both Marvell and Lumentum are falling after an all-stock deal for Lumentum worth about $115 billion, including debt. Marvell, despite an aggressive pullback in AI stocks last week, believes the investment environment is still active.

Markets appear less certain. Marvell slid more than 1% before the opening bell and Lumentum fell almost 3%.

In Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 gained 0.1% to 10,736.14 on Monday. Germany's DAX climbed 0.1% to 25,847.97, while the CAC 40 in Paris added 0.2% to 7,988.21. Asian markets were mostly higher.

The U.S. dollar rose to 157.91 Japanese yen from 157.49 yen. The euro was trading at $1.1211, up from $1.1160.

FILE - Trader Michael Capolino, left, and Specialist Thomas McArdle work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, file)

A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm, Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm, Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm, Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei and New York Dow indexes at a securities firm, Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm, Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)