Today, a little piece of aviation history closes
April 17 marks the closure, to fixed-wing traffic, of the Narsarsuaq airport in Greenland. Originally built during World War Two by the United States Army Air Force, code-named Bluie West One, it served as a transatlantic fuel stop as well as a base for anti-submarine patrol and convoy escort aircraft. It has been referenced in numerous aviation novels and stories about those who served there and used it as a transatlantic stop, and the dangers of those flights.
In 1949, civilian traffic began using the airfield, and the US military left in 1958 and closed the airfield. In 1959, the Danish military reopened the airport, and since then, it has been a familiar stop for transatlantic aircraft, keeping the tradition of its original mission and civilian airline flights.
In the late 2000’s, changing airline dynamics brought a decline in the use of airfields. In 2018 it was decided to construct an airport nearer to Qaqortoq , the largest town in South Greenland. This eliminates the need for Narsarsuaq as a domestic and international port. Qaqortoq Airport is currently scheduled to open in the fall.
The closure of Narsarsuaq marks the end of a unique airport and a little piece of aviation history.
