Air Greenland breaks record with nearly 8-hour turboprop flight

On Monday, Air Greenland operated a nonstop seven-hour and 52-minute flight from Copenhagen (CPH) in Denmark to Nuuk (GOH) in Greenland. What made the flight especially unusual was that it was operated by an Air Greenland De Havilland Dash 8-200 aircraft.

As first reported by One Mile at a Time, the 23-year old aircraft, registered OY-GRP, completed the 2,208-mile journey as flight GL6493. This is a flight of epic proportions by an aircraft that we're most accustomed to seeing flying short-haul, and more often than not, domestic routes.

Usually, the only nonstop route from Greenland to Denmark is operated by an A330-200 from Kangerlussuaq (SFJ) to Copenhagen (CPH). However, that plane was undergoing maintenance in March, so Air Greenland's eight-hour flight operated via a quick stop in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Since then, Air Greenland, like many other airlines across the world, has stopped operating passenger flights. The airline has continued to operate the route as it still acts as a crucial link for medical staff and the transportation of equipment to help in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak.

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The return, record-setting journey, with just two pilots, one flight attendant and one doctor on board took seven hours and 52 minutes of flying time -- making it very likely to be the world's longest ever Dash 8-200 flight. Because the aircraft was so empty, it was able to fly the route without a stop.

Each to their own, of course, but flying on a Dash-8 for that long is probably not something you'd often find on an AvGeek's flying bucket list.