Moriusaq Heliport

The closure was a direct result of the complete depopulation and abandonment of the settlement of Moriusaq. The primary driver for the settlement's decline was economic hardship following the closure of its main employer, a fish factory. With a dwindling population and a lack of economic viability, the Greenlandic government encouraged the remaining residents to relocate to the larger nearby town of Qaanaaq. Once the settlement was empty, there was no longer any need for the heliport's services, making it obsolete.

The site is abandoned and derelict. As the settlement of Moriusaq is now a ghost town, the heliport infrastructure, including the gravel helipad and any small terminal or shelter building, has been left to decay in the harsh Arctic environment. It is not maintained and serves no operational purpose. The physical remnants of the heliport are part of the abandoned landscape of the former settlement.

Moriusaq Heliport was the lifeline for the remote and isolated Inuit hunting community of Moriusaq. For decades, it served as the primary, and often only, connection to the outside world, especially during the harsh winter months when sea ice prevented boat travel. Operated by Air Greenland (and its predecessors), the heliport handled subsidized, scheduled helicopter flights, typically using Bell 212 helicopters. These flights were crucial for transporting passengers, delivering essential supplies like food and mail, and facilitating medical evacuations. The heliport connected Moriusaq to the regional hub at Qaanaaq Airport, integrating the small community into the vital transportation network of Northern Greenland.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Moriusaq Heliport. Since the settlement it was built to serve no longer exists and has no inhabitants, there is no economic or social justification for re-establishing air services. The Greenlandic government's policy of centralizing services and populations in larger towns makes the repopulation of Moriusaq and the subsequent reopening of its heliport extremely unlikely.