Aviation Specials – May 2018

(Søndre Strømfjord) where many

passengers transfer onto the airline’s

Airbus A330 to Copenhagen. The small

and sturdy 37-seat turboprops also

serve the airports at Aasiaat, Qaarsut

and Upernavik, which were at one time

only accessible by helicopters. Before

the Bombardiers were introduced, Air

Greenland (previously Greenlandair)

relied on venerable de Havilland Canada

DHC-7 Dash 7 aircraft, which were in

a combi configuration to enable the

number of passengers and freight

to be varied, based on demand. The

regular airliners are supported by a

Beechcraft 200 King Air which usually

visits JAV three times a week, often

performing an air ambulance role –

some patients are taken to hospital at

Nuuk, while more serious cases are

flown to Kangerlussuaq for transfer to

Copenhagen.

Typically one, but occasionally two, Dash

8s overnight at JAV and the construction

of a small hangar has simplified overnight

checks and early morning de-icing,

especially between the beginning of

December and mid-January when the sun

never rises. The small ramp actually has

enough space to accommodate three Dash

8s, but a little creativity resulted in eight

(six Air Greenland, two Air Iceland) being

squeezed onto it on an occasion, when

diversions became necessary.

The national airline also bases a five-seat

Eurocopter AS350 and one (or sometimes

two) nine-seat Bell 212 helicopters at JAV.

Government contracts support their

operation to the settlements of Ilimanaq,

Qeqertaq and Saqqaq, primarily uplifting

cargo and essential provisions for the

residents. Passengers are carried on

request, but trips are operated as needed

and there are no schedules. Flights are only

available in the winter and spring, when the

sea is frozen, and at other times ships are

used. Rolling back the years, JAV was once

home to two S-61Ns which served the area

around Disko Bay, but since most of their

ports of call acquired hard runways these

venerable 19-seat helicopters usually only

visit while engaged on search and rescue

work. One such occasion was June 19 last

year, when a rock fall caused a tsunami in a

fjord, inflicting damage and casualties in the

village of Nuugaatsiaq.

The newer Bells and Eurocopters

now deployed to JAV also carry groups

of geologists, mining technicians and

equipment to remote work sites, as well as

camera and news crews.

Tourism to Ilulissat increased by 10%

in 2016, when four cruise ships typically

anchored in the bay each week, while

20 years ago there were none. So, in

the summer months, the helicopters are

also available for charter and often fly

sightseers over the spectacular scenery

and icebergs.

AIRPORT STATISTICS

IATA Code: JAV

ICAO Code: BGJN

Location: N69°14.59’ W51°3.43’

Elevation: 95ft (29m)

Runway: 07/25 2,772 x 98ft (845 x

30m)

Frequencies: Information 119.1

Website: http://www.mit.gl/en/to-

days-flights/airports/ilulis-

sat-airport/

ILULISSAT

Extreme Airports of the World // 69

ABOVE LEFT: A

Dash 8 taxies for

departure – the

mountainous

terrain limits

opportunities to

expand the airport.

ABOVE: Air

Greenland’s

hangar is used

for overnight

maintenance.

BELOW: The short

runway can be

used only by

STOL airliners.

66-71_Ilulissat.indd 69 11/05/2018 11:45