the runway in the other direction would have brought the endpoint close to Qinngorput, the newest district of Nuuk, rapidly expanding in the late 2000s. Also an expansion should not obstruct ongoing traffic since there is no other runway or airport reachable by road. Suggestions were extend it from to , to , or (the longest possible) the latter which would allow direct flights to Denmark, but only with medium-size jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 instead of the large Airbus A330 used at present. As a result, more flights are needed. The extension issue has been a long-standing topic of ongoing controversy in Greenland. Rough weather in the region is cited as life-threatening to larger airplanes, given the additional difficulty of approach in a mountainous region. Another suggested alternative was to build a new airport on one of the islands of Angisunnguaq or Qeqertarssuaq, locations having less turbulence, and allowing runway needed for the large planes used today to Denmark. These are located a few kilometres south of Nuuk and would need a bridge or tunnel connection. Such a project could cost somewhere around 2–3 billion DKK. A decision has been made to extend the runway to . In 2016 the state-owned company Kalaallit Airports A/S was formed. It shall build or rebuild (extend) the airports in Nuuk, Ilulissat and Qaqortoq, and thereafter own them. Construction start was November 2019. The time plan, which has the aim to keep traffic going, is to build the southern extension until July 2021, use it for air activities and to build the rest of the new runway and new terminal building and finish the project in 2024. Operations on the southern extension began in November 2022. Greenland hub Unlike Nuuk Airport, the airport in Kangerlussuaq can serve large airliners, and remains the airline hub of Air Greenland, the flag carrier of Greenland. But Kangerlussuaq has very few inhabitants and is mainly a place to change plane. A move to Nuuk would eliminate the plane change for many travellers, but would require a runway expansion to around . The airline is opposed to relocation of its hub, citing the costs of such a move and consistently favourable weather conditions at Kangerlussuaq, located deep inland, about from the edge of the Greenland ice sheet (). The airline argues that the infrastructure at Kangerlussuaq is good, and visibility is not hampered