(15 Jun 2025)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nuuk – 14 June 2025
1. The first direct flight from the U.S. to Greenland arriving
2. Locals taking photos
3. Various of United Airlines arriving
4. Various of the airplane getting welcome water shower
5. Wide of plane
6. Passengers getting off
7. Passengers waving
8. Locals waving
9. Passengers posing
10. Various of Warren Rieutort-Louisl passenger holding a flag
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Warren Rieutort-Louis, 38-year-old passenger from San Francisco, US:
"So excited, this is such an historic day, the first flight from the US to Greenland. I’ve been to Greenland before, but never this way around. I came the other way through Europe, so to be able to come straight is really amazing."
12. Greenland flags
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Jessica Litolff, 26-year-old passenger from Luisiana, US:
"Yeah, I mean, distance wise it’s only like four and a half hours, so by fly you can get to Greenland faster than you can to some parts of the United States. So I’m hoping that, you know, that provides a lot of opportunity and that we as a two, you know independent state and nation, use that to benefit both parties."
14. Various of plane
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Aria Varasteh, 34-year-old from Washington DC, US:
"I’ve wanted to come here for a very long time and I’m happy to be here. I do hope that we receive a warm reception from the locals, from those I’ve talked to already. It seems that they’re excited to have us here. And so we’re excited be here and just be the best versions of ourselves."
16. Locals watching
17. Nuuk International Airport
18. Tourist bus arriving
19. People at the airport
STORYLINE:
LEAD IN :
The first direct flight from the U.S. to Greenland by an American airline landed in the capital city of Nuuk Saturday evening.
The flight took place on U.S. President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, but it was organised before Trump’s re-election.
STORYLINE:
Saturday’s flight marks the first direct passage between the U.S. and the Arctic island in nearly 20 years.
In 2007, Air Greenland launched a route between Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Kangerlussuaq Airport, some 315 kilometers (195 miles) north of Nuuk.
It was scrapped the following year due to cost.
Warren Rieutort-Louis, a 38-year-old passenger from San Francisco, decided to visit Nuuk for just one night to be a part of the historic flight.
“I’ve been to Greenland before, but never this way around. I came the other way through Europe, so to be able to come straight is really amazing,” says Rieutort-Louis.
The United Airlines flight took place on U.S. President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, which was celebrated in Washington with a controversial military parade that was part of the Army’s long-planned 250th anniversary celebration.
Trump has repeatedly said he seeks control of Greenland, a strategic Arctic island that’s a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, and has not ruled out military force.
The governments of Denmark, a NATO ally, and Greenland have said it is not for sale and condemned reports of the U.S. stepping up intelligence gathering on the mineral-rich island.
United announced the flight and its date in October, before Trump was re-elected.
It 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.
Saturday’s flight kicked off the airline’s twice weekly seasonal service, from June to September, between Newark and Nuuk.
Tourism is increasingly important in Greenland.
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