Brønlundhus Seaplane Base

Technological obsolescence and logistical shift. The seaplane base was superseded by the construction of a nearby gravel airstrip (Kap Harald Moltke Airfield, ICAO: BGKA), which allowed for more reliable, year-round access using ski/tundra-tire equipped STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft like the DHC-6 Twin Otter. Land-based aircraft are more versatile and less dependent on the short, ice-free summer season required for seaplane operations in the high Arctic.

The site of the former seaplane base is simply the water of the Jørgen Brønlund Fjord adjacent to the Brønlundhus research station. It is no longer a designated or maintained seaplane base. The Brønlundhus station itself remains active and is used as a base for scientific expeditions during the summer months, operated by the Eigil Knuth Foundation. All modern transport to the station is handled by aircraft using the Kap Harald Moltke gravel runway (BGKA), located approximately 5 km away, or by helicopter. The entire area is situated within the Northeast Greenland National Park, the largest national park in the world.

The Brønlundhus Seaplane Base was critically important for the establishment and operation of the Brønlundhus research station, one of the northernmost terrestrial research facilities in the world. Founded in 1947 by Danish explorers Eigil Knuth and Ebbe Munck, the station's initial construction, supply, and personnel transport relied entirely on long-range seaplanes, primarily PBY Catalina flying boats. These aircraft would land in the adjacent Jørgen Brønlund Fjord during the brief summer thaw. The base was a lifeline, enabling pioneering scientific research in archaeology, botany, geology, and zoology in the remote and inaccessible Peary Land region for several decades following World War II.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Brønlundhus Seaplane Base. Modern Arctic logistics have firmly shifted to more flexible and capable land-based STOL aircraft and helicopters, which offer a longer operational season and greater reliability than seaplanes in this extreme environment. Re-establishing seaplane operations would be economically and logistically impractical compared to the existing infrastructure.