Founded in 1960 as Grønlandsfly (translates to Greenland aviation), the airline started its first services with Catalina seaplanes and within the decade expanded to include DHC-3 Otters as well as Sikorsky S-61 helicopters.

The majority of operations were based on helicopters until the newly established Greenland Home Rule began investing in a network of short takeoff and landing airfields.

The reliability of connections improved as the domestic airport network expanded in the 1990s: increasing use of the Dash 7s made the airline less restricted by inclement weather.

[3] The first flights serving the American bases in Greenland operated lightweight DHC-3 Otters and Sikorsky S-55 helicopters chartered from Canada.

It was followed by Sikorsky S-61 helicopters, which have remained in use: in 2010, they still served the communities of Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland year-round and those of Disko Bay during the winter.

The establishment of the Greenland Home Rule Government in 1979 led to investment in a regional network of true airports, with short take-off and landing (STOL) airfields constructed in Nuuk, Ilulissat (1984), and Kulusuk.

[7] (These early airports were built without de-icing equipment, a situation which has proven problematic during Greenland's winters and continues to cause delays and losses for the airline.

[7] To service the enlarged network, Grønlandsfly began acquiring DHC-7s,[7] planes particularly suited to the often severe weather conditions in Greenland.

[11][5] In 1981, the airline's first international route was also opened, running between Greenland's capital Nuuk and Iqaluit Airport in northern Canada.

In 1986, a route to Keflavík allowed the company to break SAS's monopoly on flights between Greenland and Denmark via a Keflavík-Copenhagen leg operated by Icelandair.

[7] The company saw its activity curtailed as the mines at Ivittuut (1987) and Maamorilik (1990) closed operation, leading to a recession in the Greenlandic economy.

The airliner was named Kunuunnguaq in honour of the Greenlandic explorer and ethnologist Knud Rasmussen, whose bust decorates in the terminal of Kangerlussuaq hub.

[1] Air Greenland opened a route from Copenhagen to Akureyri in Iceland; the service lasted for six years before finally being deemed unprofitable and ended.

[21][22]In 2007, Flemming Knudson was moved to head the Royal Greenland fishing concern and current CEO Michael Binzer was hired with a mandate to lead the company towards greater commercialisation and self-sufficiency under the Qarsoq 2012 ("Arrow 2012") plan.

[1] On 13 June, SAS announced its intention to sell its stake in Air Greenland,[23] a move later incorporated into its restructuring programme,[24][25] but as of 2012 it has not found any buyers.

After sixty American visitors were stranded by a strike of Air Greenland employees and the company refused to make alternate arrangements for their return,[27] ticket sales slumped and the route was closed in March 2008.

On 1 January 2010, Air Greenland suspended its participation in SAS's EuroBonus frequent-flyer program due to technical difficulties.

[33] Also, owing to improved technology and higher commodity prices, the Maarmorilik mines were due to reopen in November 2010[34] with zinc and iron ore reserves projected to last 50 years.

Air Greenland sold its Boeing 757-200 in 2010, leaving it with a single Airbus A330 for its transatlantic fleet which reduced service to Narsarsuaq Airport.

[33][37] Air Greenland's last remaining Twin Otter was sold in 2011 to Norlandair in exchange for cash and a one-fourth interest in the Icelandic company.

In June 2024, Air Greenland relaunched the seasonal direct flight between Iqaluit and Nuuk, serving the two cities once a week until October 2024.

[49] Air Greenland opened up new routes from Kangerlussuaq to Billund and Aalborg in 2023, with leased Boeing 737 aircraft from Jettime, a Danish charter airline.

[54] Nuuk Airport is Air Greenland's domestic and international hub following a major reconstruction and runway expansion completed in 2024.

[5] Departure times for these flights as specified during booking are by definition approximate, with the settlement service optimised on the fly depending on local demand for a given day.

[50] The Air Greenland fixed-wing fleet consists of the following aircraft as of October 2024:[63] The Airbus H155 is the primary helicopter used for flights to district villages.

[73] The charter unit within Air Greenland is led by Hans Peter Hansen and employs 8 people, with 13 helicopters and 3 fixed-wing aircraft at its disposal.

[74] Other charter flights include heliskiing shuttles, services for the energy industry such as facilitating oil exploration or surveying for hydroelectric stations and environmental research counting polar bears and tracking other large Arctic fauna.

[74] [76] A business class – named "Premium-Class" – is offered by Air Greenland on transatlantic flights aboard Tuukkaq, its Airbus A330-800.

[78] The service includes a larger seat, a hot meal, a personal video screen, an in-seat power source, an amenity kit and blankets.

[80] Air Greenland offers flexible and restricted economy class on all flights operated with fixed-wing aircraft, with complimentary snacks and drinks.