Narsarsuaq

History

Narsarsuaq is located within the Eastern Settlement of the Greenlandic Norse; the Brattahlíð farm of Erik the Red established in 985 was located on the opposite bank of Tunulliarfik Fjord, where the modern settlement of Qassiarsuk is situated.

In 1941 the United States built an air base at Narsarsuaq code-named Bluie West One (BW1). (Bluie was the Allied military code name for Greenland.) Thousands of planes used BW1 as a stepping stone on their way from the aircraft factories in North America to the battlegrounds of Europe. A 600-bed hospital was built in order to deal with casualties from the Normandy landings. After the end of the war, BW1 continued to be developed, and was a major hospital site during the Korean War, with the military hospital expanded to 1,000 beds. However, it was rendered surplus by the advent of mid-air refueling and the construction of the larger Thule Air Base in northern Greenland.

In 1951, it was agreed that Denmark and the United States would jointly oversee the airbase. Although it closed in 1958, it was reopened as Narsarsuaq Airport the following year by the Danish government after the loss of the vessel Hans Hedtoft and all crew south off Cape Farewell.{{cite web | access-date = May 9, 2011

Post-war

The town and its airport remained an important part of Greenlandic aviation in the latter part of the 20th century, as one of two airports which were able to handle larger fixed-wing aircraft, the other being Kangerlussuaq Airport, also an old U.S. military base. It was the principal airfield in South Greenland, and served as a transfer point between fixed-wing flights and helicopters. A tourism industry developed as a result of the airport and most economic activities in the town are related to tourism or servicing the airport. Icelandair, SAS and later Air Greenland served the airport with international services to Keflavík, Iceland and Copenhagen since the 1950s, mostly during the summer.

The airport is also an important refuelling point for small planes crossing the Atlantic, which sometimes replicate the North Atlantic Ferry Route, stopping at Narsarsuaq Airport and other World War II airfields, including Goose Bay, Newfoundland in Canada and Reykjavík in Iceland.

Closure of airport

After decades of discussion, in 2018 a decision was made to construct an airport nearer to Qaqortoq, the largest town in South Greenland. The new airport eliminates the need for Narsarsuaq Airport as a domestic and Iceland-bound gateway to South Greenland. Qaqortoq Airport is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in 2026.

In 2022, the Greenlandic government decided that Narsarsuaq will be downscaled to a heliport, losing the runway when the new airport opens in 2026. The town will remain inhabited, though the future loss of the airport is already affecting the town and there is uncertainty as to its future.

Air Greenland's seasonal route to Copenhagen ceased on 16 September 2025, as from 2026, traffic will transition to Qaqortoq Airport and is unable to support larger transatlantic aircraft. Similarly, the last Icelandair flight to Reykjavík-Keflavík departed on 30 September 2025, as the summer season ended and will move its seasonal route to Qaqortoq Airport beginning in 2026.

In October 2025, Greenland Airport announced layoffs at Narsarsuaq Airport, involving around 70 people, as it begins to transition into a heliport. The Hotel Narsarsuaq will cease operating in its current form. The Narsarsuaq Museum will also close in conjunction with the airport.

Transport

Narsarsuaq Airport serves as the principal airfield in southwestern Greenland. It has also commuter helicopter flights from communities of southern Greenland operated by Air Greenland.

Narsarsuaq has a sea port where passenger boats and cruise ships can moor. It is located 2.4 km south of the terminal building, so bus transfers are arranged.

A 26 km gravel road is maintained between Qassiarsuk and Narsarsuaq around the fjord. It has two river crossings without bridges but off-road vehicles ford them, although a direct boat across the fjord is also used. There is also a regular boat service to Qaqortoq, 85 km, which takes almost 4 hours.

Population

The population of the settlement is strictly tied to the traffic dynamics at the local airport.{{cite web |access-date = May 9, 2011 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110812052835/http://bank2.stat.gl/ |archive-date = August 12, 2011

Climate

Narsarsuaq experiences boundary subarctic climate (Köppen: Dfc), which with a 1.1 °C (1.98 °F) margin escapes being classified as polar climate that is typical for the rest of Greenland. Temperatures are similar to Vadsø in northeasternmost Norway. Despite its rather chilly temperatures, Narsarsuaq is one of the few places in Greenland with abundant naturally growing trees. This is due to several factors. Its geographical position is extremely sheltered from harsh subpolar winds by multiple layers of tall mountains to the west, and there is a heavy oceanic influence that results in a rather stable and steady amount of precipitation year-round. The oceanic influence can be observed in the occasional Atlantic storms that often pound the region (resulting in a fairly wet climate) and a moderate amount of precipitation per year (which could also be considered quite high by Greenlandic standards). Due to the fair climatic conditions, Narsarsuaq is the site of Greenland's only botanical garden, the "Greenlandic Arboretum".

| Jan record high C = 14.2 | Feb record high C = 15.3 | Mar record high C = 16.5 | Apr record high C = 19.1 | May record high C = 24.8 | Jun record high C = 25.2 | Jul record high C = 24.1 | Aug record high C = 23.6 | Sep record high C = 22.4 | Oct record high C = 18.7 | Nov record high C = 18.4 | Dec record high C = 15.9 |year record high C = 25.2 | Jan record low C = -39.7 | Feb record low C = -33.7 | Mar record low C = -31.9 | Apr record low C = -23.1 | May record low C = -16.7 | Jun record low C = -2.9 | Jul record low C = 0.1 | Aug record low C = -0.1 | Sep record low C = -5.7 | Oct record low C = -17.8 | Nov record low C = -26.1 | Dec record low C = -35.9 |year record low C = -39.7 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190210040507/https://www.dmi.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/Rapporter/TR/2019/DMIRep18-19.pdf | archive-date = 10 February 2019 | access-date = 10 October 2019}}{{cite web | access-date = 10 October 2019}} | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201031070949/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_VI/GL/04270.TXT | archive-date = 2020-10-31 | url-status = dead | access-date = 13 October 2019}}

Greenlandic Arboretum

Arboretum Groenlandicum

On the lower slopes of the Mellemlandet ridge, close to Narsarsuaq Airport, there is a unique 'botanical garden of the Arctic', called the Greenlandic Arboretum.{{cite web | access-date = 31 August 2016

Founded in 1988, it encompasses 15 hectares and it shelters 110 plant species, mostly varieties of boreal taiga trees, such as Siberian larch, lodgepole pine, white spruce, Sitka spruce,{{cite web | access-date = 31 August 2016 | archive-date = 22 September 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160922192312/http://ign.ku.dk/english/about/arboreta/arboretum-greenland/ | url-status = dead | access-date = 31 August 2016 | archive-date = 22 September 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160922192444/http://ign.ku.dk/english/about/arboreta/arboretum-greenland/forest-plantations/ | url-status = dead

References

References

1. [http://kujalleq.gl/dansk/by/10-10.htm Kujalleq Municipality] {{in lang. da
2. ''Facts and History of Narsarsuaq'', Narsarsuad Tourist Information
3. "Population by Localities". Statistical Greenland.
4. Veirum, Thomas Munk. (31 March 2022). "Borgerne har fået besked om Narsarsuaq - den lukkes for fly".
5. Møller Andersen, Nina-Vivi. (4 April 2022). "Borgere i Narsarsuaq: Folk er begyndt at flytte".
6. Okkels, Morten. (2025-09-17). "Sidste danmarksfly er lettet fra Narsarsuaq".
7. "Fire ugentlige sommerflyvninger mellem Island og Qaqortoq".
8. Veirum, Thomas Munk. (2025-10-16). "Greenland Airports varsler afskedigelser i Narsarsuaq".
9. Wille, Julia Aka. (2024-07-15). "Narsarsuaq Museum: – Det øjeblik lufthavnen lukker, nedlægges museet".
10. "Narsarsuaq phot by Søren Møller".
11. [http://distancebetween.info/narsarsuaq/qassiarsuk/road_map Road distance]
12. "Disko Line".
13. "Klimanormaler Grønland".
14. (April 2020). "Station Narsarsuaq". Météo Climat.
15. Location {{coord. 61. 9. 29. N. 45. 25. 10. W
16. https://ign.ku.dk/arboret-groenland/planteliste-2011/Plantelist-NSSQ110911.pdf Greenlandic Arboretum Plant List