Private jet to Greenland

Greenland is the largest island on earth, with about 56,000 people, no road between any two towns and an ice sheet that covers most of the land. Private flights go there with expedition and film crews, scientists, government and business delegations to Nuuk, and travellers who want the Ilulissat Icefjord, the edge of the ice sheet near Kangerlussuaq or the Norse ruins of the south without two days of airline connections. A super midsize jet flies from London to Nuuk in 4:32 h without a stop.

Greenland is a self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark and lies outside the European Union and the Schengen area. Commercial flights there need permission from the Danish aviation authority, airports keep short hours, fuel is not available everywhere, and dogs are banned from much of the country. As a broker, we compare long-range aircraft from operators across Europe, have the operator apply for the permit and plan every leg with a written alternate.

Tell us in the form where you want to go, Nuuk, the ice sheet, Disko Bay or the south, and how much equipment you carry, and we reply with aircraft and routing options.

Why charter a jet to the Arctic

Flight times and range

From London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Oslo a Challenger 350 needs 4:16-4:56 h to Nuuk or Kangerlussuaq; from the Alps and Italy 5:27-5:46 h. Every super midsize, heavy and long-range jet in the tables flies non-stop. Light jets stop for fuel in Iceland: London - Nuuk takes 6:19 h with the stop in a Phenom 300. The Citation Latitude can fly London - Nuuk non-stop in 4:35 h, but with a westerly headwind or a full cabin the operator plans a stop at Keflavík instead. Over the sea and the ice, alternates lie hundreds of kilometres apart, so fuel reserve, not cabin size, decides the class.

What a private jet to Greenland costs

Each fare covers the whole aircraft one way from a base near the departure airport. Handling, any opening of an airport outside its hours, de-icing and passenger taxes come on top, and the time column refers to the first aircraft listed.

Non-stop from the European hubs

Oslo - Kangerlussuaq is the cheapest row at EUR 34,000, London - Nuuk costs EUR 36,000 in the Challenger 350. Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq cost almost the same to reach, so the choice depends on the plan: the capital, or the ice sheet and a steadier inland climate.

Smaller jets, with a stop where needed

For three or four people with light luggage a Phenom 300 costs EUR 29,000 from London, including a fuel stop in Iceland, the same as a Citation Latitude flying direct. The Praetor 600 adds range and a larger cabin.

From Iceland and Canada

To the east coast by turboprop

From North America

Kulusuk has a short runway, so the east coast is planned with a turboprop from Iceland. Ilulissat has a runway of 2,200 m for jets; we quote it on request, after confirming hours, handling and fuel for the date. Flights between two Greenlandic airports are normally flown by a locally approved operator, not by a foreign-registered aircraft, and must carry survival equipment. Passenger taxes come from the departure country: from Paris about EUR 420 per jet passenger if Greenland counts with Denmark, otherwise about EUR 1,015; from Milan EUR 200 as the route is longer than 1,500 km. UK Air Passenger Duty is charged at the standard rate on most jets and at the higher rate on jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats; Germany, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands tax departures too. All are listed in the quote.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

Three trips with the extras

Price per passenger

One price covers the whole cabin; passenger taxes are added per person:

Calculator

For a return, an Iceland combination or an onward flight to Canada, the calculator e-mails an estimate in seconds:

Airports for business jets

Greenland has about a dozen airports, most of them short fields for scheduled turboprops. An international flight may make its first landing only at an airport listed as international in the Greenland aeronautical information. These are the ones that matter for a private flight:

Pituffik in the far north-west is a United States base and is not used for private flights. On the east coast, Nerlerit Inaat near Ittoqqortoormiit is reached with a local operator, usually from Iceland.

Choosing the aircraft

Most groups fly midsize or larger: the range removes the fuel stop and leaves a reserve for an alternate. Heavy jets carry expedition equipment and suit Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq.

Need help choosing between a direct flight and a stop in Iceland? Leave your number and a consultant will call.

When to go: the Greenland year

July and August bring the warmest weather, icebergs, whales and the busiest hotels; June adds the midnight sun north of the Arctic Circle. From September to April the dry inland climate around Kangerlussuaq is good for northern lights, and March and April suit dog sledding. Empty Legs appear mainly at the edges of summer, in late spring and in September, when operators move long-range jets across the Atlantic, and after one-way expedition flights.

Helicopters for the last stretch

Helicopters are flown by Air Greenland and a few local operators. Large areas are protected, and landing on the ice or away from registered sites is restricted, so the permit and the pilot set what is possible.

Empty Legs to and from Greenland

Legs are few and depend on the operator's schedule, so an open return date helps. Tell us at empty-legs@jets.flights which way and when you could fly.

Dogs and cats

Greenland sets its own animal rules, separate from the EU, to protect its sled dogs:

• No dogs north of 66 degrees on the west coast, which includes Sisimiut, Kangerlussuaq and Ilulissat, and none on the east coast; sled, police and assistance dogs are the exceptions.
• To Nuuk and the south a dog needs an import permit from the Greenland Representation in Copenhagen, issued after the municipality agrees.
• Rabies vaccination 30 days to 12 months before arrival and a vet's health certificate from the last 14 days; bitches must be spayed, with an exemption possible for short stays.
• Cats need the same permission, vaccination and certificate, must be neutered, and need a tapeworm treatment and 14 days of isolation before departure.
• Back to the EU no antibody test is needed. Dogs flying to the UK need tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival there, and the UK accepts pets only on approved routes.

Status, entry and customs

How to book

1. Send the destination, dates, passengers and equipment, and whether the trip continues to Iceland or Canada.
2. We choose the airport and the aircraft class, and decide between a direct flight and a stop in Iceland.
3. The operator applies for the Danish permit; we confirm hours, fuel, handling and parking in writing and collect passport details.
4. After signing and payment we book hotels, the local turboprop or helicopter and the alternate plan.
5. On the day, the crew checks the weather at the destination and the alternate before departure.

Questions about private flights to Greenland

• • How much does a private jet to Greenland cost?

  • From EUR 29,000 one way from London in a Phenom 300 with a fuel stop or a Citation Latitude direct. A Challenger 350 non-stop to Nuuk costs EUR 36,000, for the whole aircraft.

• • Nuuk or Kangerlussuaq?

  • Nuuk for the capital and the south-west, Kangerlussuaq for the ice sheet and steadier weather. Nuuk limits parking to 72 hours.

• • Can a light jet fly to Greenland?

  • Yes, with a fuel stop in Iceland. From Keflavík a Citation CJ3 reaches Nuuk in 2:27 h.

• • Do I need a passport?

  • Yes, unless you are a Nordic citizen. Greenland is outside the EU and Schengen; EU and British visitors need no visa.

• • Is a permit needed for the flight?

  • Commercial flights to and from Greenland need permission from the Danish aviation authority. The operator applies, so we fix the date and aircraft early.

• • Can I bring my dog?

  • Only to Nuuk and the south, with an import permit. Dogs are banned north of 66 degrees on the west coast, including Kangerlussuaq and Ilulissat, and on the east coast.

• • Can a jet land at Ilulissat?

  • Yes, the runway is 2,200 m. We confirm hours, handling and fuel for your date before quoting.

• • Can we continue to Canada or Iceland?

  • Yes. Iqaluit is 1:39 h from Nuuk in a Citation CJ3, Keflavík about 2:27 h. Canada requires a passport and, for most Europeans, an eTA.

• • What is the time difference?

  • Nuuk is two hours behind London and three hours behind Paris all year.