Air Greenland takes Arctic surveillance role in direct DKK 1.63 billion award

Denmark has used a defence procurement exemption to award Air Greenland a long-term Arctic and North Atlantic surveillance contract, raising the stakes around availability, reach and operational presence from 2028.

The Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) has selected Air Greenland for a Maritime Domain Awareness contract worth DKK 1.63 billion, according to notice published in the EU’s TED procurement database.

The contract was awarded without a prior call for competition and covers surveillance, search-and-rescue, inspection and transport missions in Greenland, the Arctic and the North Atlantic. 

DALO said the contract was awarded directly under defence- and security-related procurement exemptions. 

Under the agreement, Air Greenland will provide two dedicated aircraft and crews for the required missions. The aircraft must be configured for the specified tasks, while crews must be trained to conduct the operations set out in the contract.

Air Greenland is required to deliver 1,050 flight hours a year and maintain an availability rate of 95 percent. 

Service delivery will run for ten years from the delivery of the first aircraft in 2028, while the overall contract duration is listed as 12 years. DALO also retains an option to buy an additional 150 flight hours a year.

Arctic presence 

The award underlines the growing importance of Arctic monitoring and operational presence as security considerations in the High North gain attention across the Nordic region.

Maritime Domain Awareness refers to the ability to monitor, understand and respond to activity at sea and in surrounding areas. In this case, the contract brings together maritime surveillance, search-and-rescue, inspection and transport tasks across a large operating area in the Arctic and North Atlantic.

Air Greenland, Greenland’s national airline, was identified as the winning bidder in the procurement notice. 

The contract award decision was made on 8 June 2026.