Greenlandic politician accuses Iceland of controlling air traffic over Greenland

A Greenlandic politician has claimed that Iceland is managing air traffic control over Greenland, describing the situation as “unacceptable,” according to a report by Icelandic national broadcaster RÚV.

Kuupik Kleist, a former prime minister of Greenland and current member of the Greenlandic parliament (Inatsisartut), made the remarks during a parliamentary debate on aviation policy. Kleist argued that Greenland should have full sovereignty over its airspace, including the operation of air traffic control services.

“It is unacceptable that a foreign country controls air traffic over Greenland,” Kleist stated, adding that the current arrangement undermines Greenland’s autonomy. He called for the establishment of a Greenlandic air traffic control system, independent of Iceland’s Isavia, the state-owned company that currently manages air navigation services in the region.

Iceland has managed air traffic control over Greenland since 2007 under an agreement with Denmark, which oversees Greenland’s foreign and defence policies. The arrangement was implemented to improve efficiency and safety in the North Atlantic airspace, given Iceland’s expertise in the field.

Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has increasingly pushed for greater control over its domestic affairs, including infrastructure and transportation. The issue of air traffic management has been a recurring topic in discussions about Greenland’s path toward potential full independence.