28.10.2005
Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands are popular destinations

Huge icebergs, gigantic glaciers, majestic mountain peaks. The beauty of the scenery in Greenland, Iceland and in the Faroe Islands attracts growing numbers of tourists; and now there are more and cheaper tickets available on the market. This combines to generate significant growth in passenger numbers on the routes

between Copenhagen Airport and North Atlantic destinations. (Photo Karsten Bidstrup)

From January to September this year, more than 88,500 passengers travelled between Copenhagen and Greenland, representing 10.5% year-on-year growth, whilst the route to the Faroe Islands served more than 97,000 passengers, an 8.3% year-on-year increase. Passenger numbers to Iceland showed more moderate growth of 5.6%, but on the other hand Iceland is the largest of the three destinations with 331,000 passengers carried during the period.

One of the explanations of the growth is an increase in the number of tourists to these islands in the North Atlantic. In the first six months of 2005, Greenland saw an increase in tourists by 1,800 year on year, equivalent to about 40% growth, whilst the tourist authorities in the Faroe Islands reported growth of approximately 10% and expect to reach 110,000 hotel bed nights in 2005, two-thirds of which by foreigners.

Lower fares

In addition to the growing interest from tourists, the main driver of the passenger growth is the increase in the number of tickets available and lower fares.

“This spring, we introduced a new ticket concept, which allows travellers to choose among various fares depending on the degree of flexibility they require. In addition, the number of frequencies was increased, so that there are up to 27 weekly departures out of Copenhagen during the peak season. These changes have increased the number of passengers on the route,” commented Kent L. Christensen, Sales and Marketing Manager of Atlantic Airways, the airline operating the service between Copenhagen and the Faroe Islands.

The new flexible ticket system has resulted in Atlantic Airways now offering return tickets at campaign fares from DKK 495 one way plus tax and charges, which is half of what the cheapest tickets used to cost.

More peak-season flights

There are also more low-fare tickets for services to Greenland after Air Greenland increased its discount on socalled “red tickets” on the Atlantic from 30 to 35%. This was done to follow up on a 10% fare reduction the year before. However, lower fares are just one of several factors underlying the growth in passenger numbers.

“We have put in ten extra peak-season flights between Copenhagen and Kangerlussuaq on Thursdays. The flights depart around lunch time, which provides same-day connections to Greenland for tourists from all over Europe. Combined with increased marketing of Greenland as a tourist destination abroad, this has resulted in more tourists. In addition, we have seen an increase in business travellers, and our fare reduction in the spring also increased the number of leisure trips out of Greenland,” commented Jesper Kunuk Egede, Marketing Manager of Air Greenland

Traffic to Iceland booming

The third and largest destination in the North Atlantic is Iceland, which has seen a real boom in passenger numbers out of Copenhagen in recent years: 24% growth in 2004 and 23% growth in 2003. The growth really picked up after low-cost carrier Iceland Express started operating on the route in February 2003, but that is not the only explanation, as Icelandair, previously the only carrier on the route, has also recorded growth. Again, growth in tourism is one of the explanations. In 2003, the number of tourists to Iceland peaked at more than 320,000 visitors according to Iceland’s Tourist Board.