Ilulissat Airport Webcam – Greenland’s Disko Bay Gateway

The Ilulissat Airport Webcam looks across the apron of the airport that serves Ilulissat, the iceberg town on Disko Bay in western Greenland. Two cameras stream around the clock. The North camera, the main view, takes in a row of blue hangars and service buildings, a red garage, a tall lattice mast and the yellow snow-clearing trucks parked in front of them. Beyond the apron, the runway runs off to the right with its yellow guidance signs, and snow-covered rocky hills close the view, rising to a steeper slope on the right. A helicopter or plane can be parked out on the apron between flights. The South camera, on the second tab, faces a storage yard of shipping containers and a road lined with street lamps, with open hills and a small lake beyond.

About Ilulissat Airport

Ilulissat Airport opened on 29 September 1984 and sits 2.8 kilometers (1.7 miles) northeast of the town center, at an elevation of 29 meters (95 feet). Its codes are JAV and BGJN. Greenland Airports, Mittarfeqarfiit in Greenlandic, owns it and calls it the regional hub for Disko Bay and northern Greenland. The present asphalt runway, 06/24, is just 845 meters (2,772 feet) long.

Air Greenland flies from here to Nuuk, Aasiaat, Sisimiut, Qaarsut, Upernavik and Qaanaaq, and to small settlements around the bay such as Ilimanaq, Qeqertaq and Saqqaq. Icelandair runs a seasonal route to Reykjavik-Keflavik. Greenland Airports streams Upernavik and Qaarsut airports from the same YouTube channel as this camera, so two of the places on that route map have their own live views.

A far longer runway has been built just north of the present one, 2,200 meters (7,218 feet) long and 60 meters (197 feet) wide, so that airliners can fly in directly from mainland Europe and North America. Greenland Airports set the opening for October 2026, and Air Greenland lists its first direct Ilulissat to Copenhagen service from 29 October 2026. The town itself, founded in 1741 as the trading post of Jakobshavn, has 5,149 residents (2025), and its Greenlandic name means “icebergs”.

Weather and Climate in Ilulissat

Ilulissat has a dry Arctic climate, with about 271 millimeters (10.7 inches) of precipitation a year. Winter is long. January averages -12.6°C (9°F), and February and March are the coldest months, with means near -14.5°C (6°F) and average lows around -19°C (-2°F). April is still well below freezing at -7.3°C (19°F), and May only creeps above it, at 0.3°C (33°F). Snow can lie on the apron and the hills from autumn into late spring, which is when the yellow ploughs by the hangars are busiest.

Summer is short and cool. July averages 8.3°C (47°F), with afternoon highs near 11.5°C (53°F), and the hills behind the runway shed most of their snow. September falls to 2.6°C (37°F), and October to -2.9°C (27°F). Light changes the picture even more than temperature does. Ilulissat lies about 350 kilometers (217 miles) north of the Arctic Circle, so the sun stays below the horizon for about six weeks around midwinter. Around midsummer the sun does not set at all, roughly from late May to late July. In late October the noon sun barely clears the southern hills, so the South camera looks straight into the glare while the North view is lit from behind.

Things to Do Near Ilulissat Airport

Most visitors who land here have come for Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004, which lies just south of town. The roof of the Ilulissat Icefjord Centre forms the start of a boardwalk through the valley to the fjord, past the archaeological site of Sermermiut. Two marked trails go further: the yellow trail has views over Disko Bay, and the blue trail follows the Icefjord farther before returning to town by hilltop lakes and a rock cutting.

In town, Knud Rasmussen’s Museum occupies the house where the polar explorer was born, and the Ilulissat Art Museum and Zion Church, built in the late 18th century, are a short walk apart. Whale Tours Ilulissat runs boat trips in summer, when whales are most often seen in the bay, and dog sledding season runs from January to April. There are no public buses from the airport, so plan on a taxi or a hotel shuttle for the drive into town.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

Three more live views from Greenland, two of them at airports:

• Ilulissat Icefjord Webcam
• Nuuk Airport Webcam
• Kangerlussuaq Airport Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Ilulissat Airport located?

Ilulissat Airport is 2.8 kilometers (1.7 miles) northeast of the center of Ilulissat, on Disko Bay in western Greenland, about 350 kilometers (217 miles) north of the Arctic Circle.

What can you see on the Ilulissat Airport Webcam?

The North camera shows the apron with its blue hangars, a red garage, a lattice mast, yellow snow ploughs and parked helicopters or planes, with the runway and snowy hills behind. The South camera looks over a container yard, a lamp-lit road and open hills, with a small lake on the right.

Does the Ilulissat Airport Webcam show the icebergs or the Icefjord?

No. The airport is northeast of town, and both cameras look across the airfield and the rocky hills around it, not out to sea. The icebergs are in Disko Bay and the Icefjord south of town, which the site’s separate Ilulissat Icefjord camera covers.

What is the airport code for Ilulissat?

The IATA code is JAV and the ICAO code is BGJN. The airport opened on 29 September 1984 and is owned by Greenland Airports (Mittarfeqarfiit).

How long is the runway at Ilulissat Airport?

The present runway is 845 meters (2,772 feet). The expansion adds a new runway just north of it, 2,200 meters (7,218 feet) long and 60 meters (197 feet) wide, which Greenland Airports set to open in October 2026, with Air Greenland’s first direct Copenhagen flights listed from 29 October 2026.

What is the weather like in Ilulissat in October?

October averages -2.9°C (27°F), with highs around -0.3°C (31°F) and lows near -6°C (21°F). September is milder, averaging 2.6°C (37°F) with highs of 5.3°C (42°F). In the late October frames, snow already covers the apron and the hills.

Is there a shuttle from Ilulissat Airport to town?

There are no public buses between the airport and Ilulissat. Some hotels offer a shuttle for their guests, and Ilulissat Taxi serves the airport.

Can you see anything on the Ilulissat Airport Webcam at night?

Yes. Floodlights light the hangars and the apron, a red warning light glows on top of the mast, and lights show along the far side of the airfield. On the South camera the street lamps along the road stay on, and stars are visible on clear nights. During the six dark weeks around midwinter this lit scene is all there is, even at noon.

Source: Greenland Airports