Air Greenland (GL, Nuuk) has written down the value of its sole widebody aircraft – A330-200 OY-GRN (msn 230) – in its annual report released this week. Danish travel site Check-In suggests that this could be because of fears the aircraft won't be needed if plans to extend Greenland's regional airport runways go ahead.
The three coalition governments of Greenland signed an agreement at the end of 2015, committing to extend the runways at Nuuk and Ilulissat airports to at least 2,200 metres. Located in the island-state's capital, Nuuk airport's main runway 05/23 is just 950 metres long. Ilulissat, on the west coast, has a main runway 07/25 of 845 metres, and serves destinations in Greenland and Iceland.
Currently, the A330 is the only aircraft which flies directly from Greenland to Continental Europe, plying the Copenhagen Kastrup – Kangerlussuaq route. From Kangerlussuaq, smaller aircraft feed passengers to other destinations across the island. Should other airports open up to narrowbody and widebody traffic, the national airline may see a reduction in passenger numbers along this route.
Aside from the depreciation of the A330, Air Greenland saw a modest profit of DKK40 million (USD5.75 million) before tax for the 2016 financial year.
