Narsarsuaq, Greenland (BGBW)
Situated about one-third of the way across the North Atlantic, Greenland along with Iceland, has long been a regular stop on the hop, skip and jump flight across ‘The Pond’ to and from Europe. The route is often used by aircraft with shorter fuel endurance that requires breaking the trans-Atlantic journey into stages. One such popular refuelling stop is in Narsarsuaq (BGBW) in Greenland, a World War Two-era airstrip buried 50 miles deep in a fjord on the southern tip of the massive landmass.
Constructed by the War Department of the United States in 1941, the field was then known by its codename Bluie West One and was a base of operations for allied convoy escorts and anti-submarine missions. The airfield was also a frequent stopover point for wartime aircraft transiting to and from Europe. In the decades following the war, the airfield facilities have been improved and civil aviation traffic serving tourists and residents has slowly increased. Whether you are flying scheduled airline routes to Narsarsuaq or utilising it as a mid-trip fuel stop on a longer journey, operating to the airport requires careful consideration and preparation due to the extremes of distance, weat…
