Air Greenland has confirmed that it will continue its Iqaluit to Nuuk service for a third consecutive summer. But the airline’s sales manager Camilla Siezing said that this season they plan to refocus their target clientele.
She explained that the main reason they launched the route in 2012 was because of the mineral and oil sector, but that not too many passengers have been travelling for business reasons.
However, she noted that there were far more passengers travelling for tourism reasons such as visiting friends and family last year.
Due to the fact Air Greenland did not have as many business customers as expected in 2013, it has cut the duration of the Nunavut to Greenland service by two weeks. The twice-weekly service will start on 13 June and end on 15 September – beginning a week earlier and ending a week later last year. Flights will be scheduled on Mondays and Fridays.
However, the carrier’s brochure states that if the demand is high enough it will extend the operating period.
Siezing revealed that flights were between 40 and 50 per cent full in 2013. She said that this year’s goal is to reach 70 per cent capacity, with the hope that tourists can help the airline achieve that target. She said they have conducted meetings with several travel agents and are excited to see how the coming season goes.
She went on to say that they do not expect much more business travel at present as red tape has made it difficult for prospecting firms to explore Greenland.