I cried and cried when we landed on the last plane.

- I remember how we played on the road and looked forward to the big plane landing, the pilot says in a mournful voice over the loudspeaker. We are sitting on board the last plane to Narsarsuaq Airport.

For decades, the airport has been the lifeblood of the settlement. The runway stretches from one end of Narsarsuaq to the other like a strip of glue that has held the community together. With the opening of the new airport in Qaqortoq, an era ends - and a question arises: Is there a Narsarsuaq without scheduled flights to Narsarsuaq Airport?

A future in uncertainty

Claus Pedersen sits in the front row of the Dash-8, looking out over the fjord. He has spent the past 23 summers in Narsarsuaq as director of the tourism company Blue Ice Explorer, which has been based in the settlement. He still hopes for a future for the place - but doubts have crept in.

- The future of Narsarsuaq is very uncertain. There have been many seminars about the future, but nothing constructive has come of it, he says.

With the closure of the airport, Blue Ice Explorer is moving its head office to Qaqortoq. Claus Pedersen says that they can already see an impact on tourism in the Narsarsuaq area.

- We can already see a decline in bookings this summer, but let's wait and see how it goes this year. 2026 will be a test year, he says.

His words echo in the cabin as the plane begins its descent towards the runway, which for many years has been the gateway to South Greenland.

To the right of Claus Pedersen, Ellen Frederiksen sits, leaning forward to look out of the small plane window. Far below lies Qassiarsuk - her home. Tears roll down her cheeks. She didn't expect that, she says.

The closure of Narsarsuaq Airport hits her directly. In addition to her farming and sheep farming, she also runs a small accommodation facility.

- We have already lost bookings because flight prices are higher. It's a shame that we are losing the direct connection to Europe via Denmark. I have a group of researchers who come every summer, but it's more difficult now that they have to fly over Nuuk and sail from Qaqortoq.

The closure of Narsarsuaq Airport has long been strongly criticized by local voices. The closure also means that, among other things, the Narsarsuaq Museum will close, and Greenland Airports decided in October 2025 to lay off approximately 70 employees at the airport and hotel. This is half of the settlement's 139 citizens.

The last landing

The traditional applause gets an extra boost when the plane lands in Narsarsuaq. Something extra is at stake, you must understand.

As the doors to the plane open, the passengers are hit by a wall of silence. Nasarsuaq residents stand side by side, watching the last plane in the airport's history. Some stare silently. Others embrace each other.

An era has ended. A new one may begin in Qaqortoq, but not here in Narsarsuaq. The propellers are still spinning, but for the first time the sound feels foreign. A mother and her daughter meet in a loving hug. Some stare blankly into the air.

Among those present is Naja Lund. She hugs family members at the airport, tears welling up. She grew up in Narsarsuaq, and has worked at the airport for several years. She says she is very affected by the closure.

- It feels completely unrealistic. It's really difficult. There have been no announcements about the future from the Government of Greenland.

When asked about the future prospects for Narsarsuaq, Naja Lund mentions the latest news about American interest in the settlement.

- If it happens (that the US opens a military base in Narsarsuaq), it must not happen without the involvement of the local population. I wish it were the Danish Defence that took an interest in Narsarsuaq, but when it is the US that does it, it is more unacceptable. But as long as there is a future for Narsarsuaq and people can stay here, then it must be that way, says Naja Lund.

A day of mourning

Inside, the table is set for farewell. Rum balls and raspberry slices are today's farewell dinner. People gather for speeches from, among others, Mayor Malene Vahl Rasmussen, who is clearly affected and has to interrupt her speech several times, and Air Greenland's CEO, Jacob Nitter, who shares his childhood memories of the airport.

Behind the speakers sits Vagn Andersen. He is a bus driver and came to Narsarsuaq in March 1983.

- It is a day of mourning. I would have flown the flag at half-mast if it weren't for our great-grandson's birthday today, he says and continues.

- We are lucky to have a house in Narsarsuaq. We can move there, but there are many others who don't have a house elsewhere and can just move. People gather outside once again. It is time for the very last departure from Narsarsuaq Airport.

Completely natural and untouched by the heavy event of the day, the one-ton Dash-8 lifts off from Narsarsuaq's characteristic runway with the flat mountains in the background.

People raise their arms in the air and wave goodbye. Not goodbye again. Goodbye to Narsarsuaq Airport, but not goodbye to Narsarsuaq as a place to live. There just needs to be new glue to hold it all together. Maybe that glue is found in the community. At least that's what Naja Lund hopes for.

- I sincerely hope that there is a future for Narsarsuaq. It depends on the people who stay here. Among them are my parents. They need to have good unity here, so that the politicians can see that there is still life in Narsarsuaq, she concludes.