First direct flight from US to Greenland since 2008 lands on Trump's birthday

NUUK, Greenland — The first direct flight from the U.S. to Greenland by an American airline landed in the capital city of Nuuk on Saturday.

The United Airlines-operated Boeing 737 Max 8 departed from Newark International Airport in New Jersey at 11:31 a.m. EDT (1531 GMT) and arrived a little over four hours later, at 6:39 p.m. local time (1939 GMT), according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.

A seat cost roughly $1,200.

Saturday's flight marks the first direct passage between the U.S. and the Arctic Island for nearly 20 years. In 2007, Air Greenland launched a route between Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Kangerlussuaq Airport, some 315 kilometers (196 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,'' Rieutort-Louis said after the plane landed.

The United Airlines flight took place on U.S. President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, which was being celebrated in Washington with a controversial military parade that's 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 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.

''United will be the only carrier to connect the U.S. directly to Nuuk — the northernmost capital in the world, providing a gateway to world-class hiking and fascinating wildlife under the summer's midnight sun,'' the company said in a statement at the time.

Saturday's flight kicked off the airline's twice weekly seasonal service, from June to September, between Newark and Nuuk. The plane has around 165 seats.

Previously, travelers had to take a layover in Iceland or Copenhagen, Denmark, before flying to Greenland.

The new flight is beneficial for the island's business and residents, according to Greenland government minister Naaja Nathanielsen.

Tourists will spend money at local businesses, and Greenlanders themselves will now be able to travel to the U.S. more easily, Nathanielsen, the minister for business, mineral resources, energy, justice and gender equality, told Danish broadcaster DR. The route is also an important part of diversifying the island's economy, she said. Fishing produces about 90% of Greenland's exports.

Tourism is increasingly important. More than 96,000 international passengers traveled through the country's airports in 2023, up 28% from 2015.

Jessica Litolff, a 26-year-old passenger from Louisiana, said she also hopes the new route will benefit the U.S. and Greenland.

''Distance-wise it's only like four and a half hours, so by flying you can get to Greenland faster than you can to some parts of the United States,'' she said.

Visit Greenland echoed Nathanielsen's comments. The government's tourism agency did not have projections on how much money the new flights would bring to the island.

''We do know that flights can bring in much more than just dollars, and we expect it to have a positive impact -- both for the society and travellers,'' Tanny Por, Visit Greenland's head of international relations, told The Associated Press in an email.

Aria Varasteh, a 34-year-old traveler from Washington, has wanted to travel to Greenland ''for a very long time.''

''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," Varasteh said. "And so we're excited to be here and just be the best versions of ourselves.''

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Associated Press writer Stefanie Dazio in Berlin contributed to this report.