The first direct flight from the US to Greenland by an American airline landed in the capital city of Nuuk on Saturday. The United Airlines-operated Boeing 737 Max 8 departed Newark International Airport in New Jersey at 11:31am EDT arrived a little over four hours later, at 6:39pm local time, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware. The flight marked the first direct passage between the US and the Arctic Island for nearly 20 years. A seat cost roughly $1,200, the AP reports.
In 2007, Air Greenland launched a route between Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Kangerlussuaq Airport, some 196 miles north of Nuuk. It was scrapped the following year due to cost. The United flight took place on President Trump's 79th birthday. Trump has repeatedly said he seeks control of Greenland, a strategic island that's a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, and he has not ruled out using military force. The governments of Denmark, a NATO ally, and Greenland have said it is not for sale and condemned reports of the US stepping up intelligence gathering on the mineral-rich island. United announced the flight in October, before Trump was elected.
The service was scheduled for 2025 to take advantage of the new Nuuk airport, which opened in late November and features a larger runway for bigger jets. "United will be the only carrier to connect the U.S. directly to Nuuk—the northernmost capital in the world, providing a gateway to world-class hiking and fascinating wildlife under the summer's midnight sun," the company said in a statement at the time. The airline plans two flights a week from June to September. Previously, travelers had a layover in Iceland or Copenhagen, Denmark, before flying to Greenland. "We do know that flights can bring in much more than just dollars, and we expect it to have a positive impact—both for the society and travelers," a Visit Greenland official emailed the AP.
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