Mittarfeqarfiit is the Greenlandic name for its territorial airport authority. This authority has some unique advantages, in that:

• It has navigational control over a large chunk of the Arctic. All flights between Scandinavia and western North America pass over its territory.

• It inherits many large airstrips built by the United States during World War II. Mittarfeqarfiit has wisely chosen to keep these airstrips operational, keeping Greenland connected to the rest of the world.

• It has an active colonial patron. Denmark¹ maintains regular flights to Greenland from Copenhagen, and is itself interested in keeping the airstrip connections within Greenland open.

Mittarfeqarfiit and Colonialism

Greenland is under autonomous home rule from Denmark, similar to the home rule in Nunavut, Canada. Whatever disadvantages colonialism may possess, it does at least maintain an interest by the mother country in its colony. Sometimes, the colony gets advantage from such an interest. Thus far, Denmark and Greenland both perceive an advantage in maintaining the current colonial relationship.

• Denmark gets to express its sovereignty over a large strategic part of the Earth, which the United States is especially interested in.

• Greenland gets money to help maintain its airports and its standard of living.

Though not actually a colonial patron, as expressed earlier, the United States has significant interest in Greenland's airspace. The United States Air Force still maintains a presence at Thule Air Force Base in northern Greenland by international agreement. The 13 WWII airstrips mentioned earlier as donated to Mittarfeqarfiit were designated Bluie West one through eight for West Greenland and Bluie East one through five for East Greenland.

Greenland is currently under 'home rule.' Which is to say, the territory can govern its own affairs, and expect heavy subsidies from Denmark, but in return must accept Danish and allied military at strategic places. Aside from the United States military in Qaanaaq (Thule), Denmark maintains an air force presence at Kangerlussuaq (Sondre Stromfjord), and a naval presence at Ivittutut (Gronnedal) in West Greenland.

Mittarfeqarfiit is an arm of the Greenland Home Rule, and exploits Greenland's colonial advantages to the fullest extent possible. Greenland's airports are actively maintained, and are widely acknowledged as the best in the North Atlantic. Which is to say, they beat Iceland.

Mittarfeqarfiit Operations

Mittarfeqarfiit maintains the following airports, noted from west to east:

• Pituffik (Thule) near Qaanaaq
• Ilulissat (Jacobshavn)
• Kangerlussuaq (Sondre Stromsfjord)
• Nuuk (Godthaab)
• Narsarsuaq near Julianehab
• Kulusuk (Kap Dan) near Ammassalik
• Nerlerit Inaat (Constable Pynt) near Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresbysund)

It should also be noted that the airports at Kangerlussuaq, Narsarsuaq, and Kulusuk have tax-free shops.

Mittarfeqarfiit works closely with the few airlines that are willing to fly to Greenland. These are:

• SAS - (Scandinavian Airline Service) operates every flight from Denmark, several times a day
• First Air - operates one flight per week from Canada.
• Gronlandsfly - co-operates flights with both of the above, just to get its name on the flight.

Mittarfeqarfiit operations depend closely on operations from Denmark. All flights from Denmark come into three airports: Kangerlussuaq, Nuuk, and Narsarquaq. If the flights from Denmark to Greenland are grounded, all flights within Greenland are grounded also, because there's usually no point.

Iceland is a secondary source of traffic into Greenland. Flights from Iceland come into Nuuk, Narsarsuaq, and Nerlerat Inaat. The last destination is only accessible from Iceland; travellers based there from have to fly to Iceland first.

Only one flight per week comes in to Greenland from a place other than Iceland or Denmark. That place is Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, the only link to all of Canada and North America. Traffic from there goes into Kangerlussuaq, and thence to Pituffik. The traffic on that link is not heavy.