Greenland’s flag carrier, Air Greenland, has signed a six-year lease agreement with an extension option with Carlyle Aviation to acquire a new Airbus A320neo, set to be included in the airline’s summer 2027 flight schedule.

New A320neo to be Delivered in 2026

Air Greenland CEO Jacob Nitter Sorensen, who signed the agreement on 14 February 2025, stated that the aircraft would be delivered in December 2026 and adapted to Greenland’s challenging weather conditions.

This delivery will coincide with the expansion project of Ilulissat Airport (JAV) in northern Greenland. The airport, expected to open with a new 2,200-metre runway by the end of 2026, aims to increase international flights to the region.

Sorensen noted that Airbus aircraft delivery times are currently around 6–7 years and explained that they chose the leasing option to ensure the aircraft is ready when the new airport opens while maintaining financial flexibility.

New Flight Routes: Ilulissat – Copenhagen

The new A320neo will open a new route between Ilulissat and Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, providing a complementary service to Air Greenland’s existing A330neo flights.

“We have high hopes for the new route to Ilulissat, and we see this lease agreement as a catalyst for growth opportunities within our network,” Sorensen said, emphasising that they would be able to adjust capacity more flexibly between the A330neo and A320neo.

Maintenance and Crew Training

SAS, which already performs maintenance for Air Greenland’s A330-800 aircraft, will provide additional maintenance services for the A320neo once operations begin.

Flight and cabin crews will operate on both the A330neo and A320neo, with some Dash-8 pilots being retrained to fly the new aircraft.