Greenland Airports is raising the passenger charge on international departures from 1 January 2027, from 548 kroner year round to 872 kroner in winter and 1,182 kroner in summer.
Greenland Airports, which operates 13 airports in Greenland, announced the increase in a press release. Kristeligt Dagblad, citing Ritzau, reports that the charge applies to passengers traveling abroad from the start of next year.
The charge is collected through the airlines and is part of the ticket price. It applies to all flights out of the country, with one exception. Nerlerit Inaat airport in East Greenland is not covered.
Why Greenland Airports says the charge is rising
According to the press release, the charges are being raised to finance high operating costs at the Greenlandic airports. Chief financial officer Per S. Trærup states that the company would far rather lower the charges and stimulate increased activity. He adds that higher demands and the costs that follow made the increase necessary.
Greenland’s Self-Rule owns the majority of the company, and the Greenlandic government, Naalakkersuisut, has approved the new rates, Greenland Airports writes. Readers unfamiliar with the structure can find background on Greenland’s autonomy from Denmark.
As reported by Sermitsiaq on 13 November 2026, the company confirmed that running its new international airports has cost far more than planned. Sermitsiaq notes that Greenland Airports points to the first full operating year at Nuuk Airport. The company also expects lower flight-related revenue, because hotel capacity in Nuuk and Ilulissat remains a bottleneck.
Sermitsiaq writes that the increase covers every airport with international traffic run by Greenland Airports International A/S and Greenland Airports Regional A/S. Scheduled flights to and from Nerlerit Inaat are excluded. The same outlet reports that the state has promised 125 million kroner a year to Greenland Airports International from 2027 to 2029.
An earlier Sermitsiaq report on a briefing to the finance committee of Inatsisartut, Greenland’s parliament, first flagged the coming increase. That briefing projected rates of 858 kroner and 1,168 kroner. The confirmed figures are slightly higher, at 872 kroner and 1,182 kroner.
What the higher charge means for internationals flying between Denmark and Greenland
The passenger charge, or passagertakst, is not something travelers pay at the airport counter. According to Greenland Airports, airlines collect it and pass it on inside the ticket price, where it normally appears in the taxes and charges line of a booking. The charge is levied on departures out of Greenland, so a return trip from Copenhagen includes it on the leg home.
In practice, the summer rate of 1,182 kroner is more than double the current 548 kroner, and the winter rate of 872 kroner is 324 kroner higher. For foreign residents in Denmark with family, work or research ties in Greenland, that is a fixed amount added to each departure, which matters most for anyone planning several trips into their annual travel budget. The reporting does not state how tickets already booked for travel after 1 January 2027 will be handled, and that remains unclear.
The change is decided in Greenland, not in Copenhagen, because Naalakkersuisut approved the rates for a company majority owned by Greenland’s Self-Rule. Denmark’s Folketing and Danish ministries are not the deciding authority here, even though many passengers fly on routes connecting Greenland with Danish airports. For context on the wider constitutional setup, see our guide on whether Greenland is part of Denmark.
