Stranded passengers and too few accommodations put pressure on Air Greenland when a flight is canceled. Last week, people spent the night in airport lounges.
Over the past week, there have been a lot of stranded passengers in Nuuk due to bad weather. So many that some have slept at the airport – illegally – because Air Greenland could not offer them a place to sleep.
One passenger shared on social media how he had to sleep at baggage claim, while others said they waited up to 26 hours before being offered an overnight stay.
– This is because there were no available accommodations in Nuuk. There were many stranded passengers in the city on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Since there were many arriving and departing, there were many people, sir, explains Inga Dora G. Markussen, who is responsible for communications at Air Greenland.
– The wait was long, and I must say that letting people stay overnight at the airport is not an option. It is not legal, she admits.
There’s not much to do
Air Greenland has agreements with hotels and accommodations around the capital, but so do the other airlines that fly to and from the capital, and that is the real challenge in terms of accommodation.
– Part of the problem is that other airlines also book rooms, and we have no control over that – it changes from day to day.
And when the capacity in the capital is booked, there is not much that Air Greenland can do, she emphasizes.
It’s summer now, and many flights are expected. Is Air Greenland ready with overnight stays?
It’s summer now, and many flights are expected. Is Air Greenland ready with overnight stays?
– We cannot say in advance when problems will arise – we cannot control that. Therefore, we cannot book accommodation in advance with the words: “We are now booking for this period.”
Does Air Greenland plan to build a hotel in Nuuk?
Does Air Greenland plan to build a hotel in Nuuk?
– There are no current plans for us to build a hotel or accommodation in Nuuk.
Yesterday, Sunday and today, Monday, Air Greenland once again canceled flights due to weather and the risk of severe turbulence. This again affected many passengers who were stranded in Nuuk.