Nuuk international airport to the northeast of the town centre. Built in 1979, it is a hub for Air Greenland, which is also headquartered in Nuuk, and operates its technical base at the airport. There are flights inside Greenland and to Iceland. There is a decision to extend the runway so that there can be flights to European destinations like Denmark. As a result of the high cost of flying goods to Greenland, Nuuk and other towns in Greenland are connected to Denmark by cargo vessels which sail mainly from Aalborg during the warmer months after the winter ice has melted.
Nuuk Airport Rough weather in the region is cited as life-threatening to larger airplanes, given the additional difficulty of approach in a mountainous region. After 2010 there are no aircraft that can be purchased, which have more than 30 seats and can use short runways like Nuuk. When the existing Dash-8 200 retire or more aircraft are needed, a longer runway is necessary. Another suggested alternative, is to build a new airport on one of the islands of Angisunnguaq or Qeqertarssuaq, locations having less turbulence, and allowing runway needed for the large planes used today to Denmark. These are located a few