Greenland Takes Control Of National Airline

The government of Greenland has concluded purchase agreements with SAS Scandinavian Airlines and the Danish government for their stakes in Air Greenland.

Naalakkersuisut, the Greenland government, said that after several years of discussions with SAS and Denmark, it would acquire the government's 25 percent and SAS's 37.5 percent shareholdings in the airline.

The transaction gives Greenland 100 percent control of its national airline.

SAS's sale of its stake in a DKK277 million (USD$41.3 million) deal ends a shareholding in the Greenland carrier that dates back to 1960.

The Greenland government said Air Greenland “will continue to operate as a healthy business and solve the tasks of passenger transport in, to and from Greenland, as an important part of the Greenlandic infrastructure.”

Air Greenland operates a small fleet of fixed-wing aircraft including an Airbus A330, and several helicopters. It flies to domestic destinations and international routes to Denmark and Iceland.