Royal Arctic Line A/S (RAL) or Royal Arctic is a seaborne

freight In transportation, cargo refers to goods transported by land, water or air, while freight refers to its conveyance. In economics, freight refers to goods transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. The term cargo is also used in ...

company in

Greenland Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...

, wholly owned by the

Government of Greenland The Naalakkersuisut or the Government of Greenland () is the chief executive body, the cabinet and the government of Greenland since the island became self-governing in 1979. As an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is a p ...

. It was formed in 1993, and is headquartered in

Nuuk Nuuk (; , formerly ) is the capital and most populous city of Greenland, an autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark. Nuuk is the seat of government and the territory's largest cultural and economic center. It is also the seat of gove ...

History

Royal Arctic Line A/S was spun off as a company separate from the Greenlandic conglomerate KNI in 1993. Like many Greenlandic companies, its operations derive from and carry on the traditions of the earlier

Royal Greenland Trading Department The Royal Greenland Trading Department (, KGH) was a Danish state enterprise charged with administering the realm's settlements and trade in Greenland. The company managed the government of Greenland from 1774 to 1908 through its Board of Manag ...

Operations

The company has a monopoly on all sea transport of cargo to, from, and within Greenland. Construction materials account for roughly a quarter of shipping to Greenland; fish makes up roughly half of shipping from Greenland; fish and beverages bottled at Nuuk (principally water and beer) account for most shipping within Greenland. Royal Arctic operates cargo routes among the Greenland settlements and between

and

Aarhus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...

in Denmark and manages 13 harbors in Greenland, which serves as the source for all European shipping to the island. Seaborne traffic from North America goes to

Reykjavík Reykjavík is the Capital city, capital and largest city in Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the southern shore of Faxaflói, the Faxaflói Bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is List of northernmost items, the worl ...

aboard

Eimskip Eimskipafélag Íslands hf. (, ), trading as Eimskip (, ), is an international shipping company with 56 offices in 20 countries and four continents; Europe, North America, South America and Asia. Eimskip specialises in worldwide freight forwarding ...

, whence it is carried to Greenland aboard Royal Arctic Line. In 2011, government concessions accounted for 76% of the company's income. The Transport Committee newly formed by the Greenland Home Rule government issued a report stating that liberalisation of the shipping market offers no benefits and the current concession is reasonable. It also began planning with RAL and stakeholders to expand the harbors in Nuuk and

Sisimiut Sisimiut (), also known by its Danish name Holstensborg or Holsteinsborg, is the capital and largest city of the Qeqqata municipality, the second-largest city in Greenland, and the largest Arctic city in North America.The term 'city' is loos ...

Divisions

Linietrafik (Line Traffic)

Royal Arctic Linietrafik operates the company's fleet, currently consisting of ten ships.

Havneservice (Portservices)

Royal Arctic Havneservice operates the company's harbour operations and nearby lighthouses. *

(

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

) *

Aasiaat Aasiaat (), also known as Egedesminde, is a town in the Qeqertalik municipality in western Greenland, located on its namesake island in the heart of Aasiaat Archipelago at the southern end of Disko Bay. With a population of 2,980 as of 2021, it ...

Ilulissat Ilulissat, also known as Jacobshavn or Jakobshav, is the municipal seat and largest town of the Avannaata municipality in western Greenland, located approximately north of the Arctic Circle. With a population of 4,670 as of 2020, it is the ...

Maniitsoq Maniitsoq () or Sukkertoppen is a town on Maniitsoq Island, western Greenland located in the Qeqqata municipality. With 2,534 inhabitants , it is the sixth-largest town in Greenland. History Archaeological finds indicate that the area ha ...

Nanortalik Nanortalik (, ), formerly Nennortalik, is a town in Nanortalik Island, Kujalleq municipalities of Greenland, municipality, southern Greenland. With 1,072 inhabitants as of 2024, it is the List of cities and towns in Greenland, eleventh-largest ...

Narsaq Narsaq ( Danish: ''Nordprøven'') is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. The name ''Narsaq'' is Kalaallisut for "Plain", referring to the shore of Tunulliarfik Fjord where the town is located. History People have liv ...

(home port of Royal Arctic Line) *

Paamiut Paamiut, also known as Frederikshåb, is a town in southwestern Greenland in the Sermersooq municipalities of Greenland, municipality. Geography Paamiut is located on the coast of Labrador Sea in the southern end of a small estuary called Ku ...

Qaqortoq Qaqortoq (), also known as Julianehåb, is the capital city of the Kujalleq municipalities of Greenland, municipality in southern Greenland, located near Cape Thorvaldsen. With a population of 3,050 in 2020, it is the most populous town in sout ...

Qasigiannguit Qasigiannguit (), also known as Christianshåb, is a town located in western Greenland on the southeastern shore of Disko Bay in the Qeqertalik municipality. With 1,081 inhabitants in 2020, it is the thirteenth-largest town in Greenland. The ...

Tasiilaq Tasiilaq, formerly Ammassalik or Angmagssalik ( Danish names: Kong Oscars Havn or simply Oscarshavn), is a town on Ammassalik Island in southeastern Greenland, within the municipality of Sermersooq. With 1,985 inhabitants as of 2020, it is th ...

(July–November) *

Upernavik Kanunarinaqiniiaaq (known as Upernavik) is a small town in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland, located on a small island of the same name. With 1,064 inhabitants as of 2024, it is the twelfth-largest town in Greenland. It c ...

(June–December) *

Uummannaq Uummannaq is a town on Uummannaq Island in the Avannaata municipality, in central-western Greenland. With 1,407 inhabitants in 2020, it is the eighth-largest town in Greenland, and is home to the country's most northerly ferry terminal. Foun ...

(June–December) Some other towns such

Qaanaaq Qaanaaq (), formerly known as New Thule, is the main town in the northern part of the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. The town has a population of 646 as of 2020. The population was forcibly relocated from its former, traditiona ...

Pituffik Pituffik is a former Inughuit settlement in North Star Bay, near Mount Dundas at the eastern end of Bylot Sound in northern Greenland. The area is now occupied by the U.S. Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule Air Base. The Inughuit inhabitants wer ...

Kangerlussuaq Kangerlussuaq (; ; ) is a settlement in western Greenland in the Qeqqata municipalities of Greenland, municipality located at the head of the Kangerlussuaq Fjord, fjord of the same name. It was Greenland's main air transport hub and the site of G ...

Ittoqqortoormiit Ittoqqortoormiit (; ), formerly known as Scoresbysund, is a settlement in the Sermersooq municipality in eastern Greenland. Its population was 345 as of 2020, and it has been described as one of the most remote settlements on Earth. The former ...

and stations in

Northeast Greenland National Park Northeast Greenland National Park (, ) is the world's largest national park and the 10th largest protected area (the only larger protected areas consist mostly of sea). Established in 1974, the Northeast Greenland national park expanded to its p ...

in Greenland are served only once to three times per year.

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

is served every three weeks on runs to

South Greenland The Southern Inspectorate of Greenland (), also known as South Greenland, was a Danish inspectorate on Greenland consisting of the trading centers and missionary stations along the southwest coast of the island. History West Greenland was divi ...

and

and on most trips to

East Greenland Tunu, in Danish Østgrønland ("East Greenland"), was one of the three counties (''amter'') of Greenland until 31 December 2008. The county seat was at the main settlement, Tasiilaq. The county's population in 2005 was around 3,800. The county ...

Subsidiaries

Royal Arctic Line Denmark

Royal Arctic Line Denmark A/S is a wholly owned subsidiary based in Aarhus, Denmark.

Arctic Umiaq

2017-09-19 02 SARFAQ ITTUK - IMO 8913899

Arctic Umiaq Line A/S is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Royal Arctic Line and based in Nuuk. It operates one passenger ferry, ''Sarfaq Ittuk'', among communities along the western coast of Greenland. Its 2011 operating loss of DKK 8.1 million was made good via a loss guarantee from Greenland Home Rule, and the company has secured an agreement for further loss guarantees through 2016.

Arctic Base Supply

Arctic Base Supply A/S is owned jointly (50% each) with Danbor and based in Nuuk. It provides logistical support for offshore oil and gas exploration and, in 2011, assisted

Capricorn Energy Capricorn Energy plc (formerly Cairn Energy plc) is a British oil and gas exploration and development company based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange. History The company was founded in 1981 by Sir Bil ...

in its work at Nuuk and

. No activity is expected in 2012, however.

Ejendomsselskabet Suliffik

Ejendomsselskabet Suliffik A/S ("Suliffik Property Co.") is a subsidiary (30.3%) owned jointly with

Royal Greenland Royal Greenland A/S is a fishing company in Greenland, spun off from Kalaallit Niuerfiat in 1990 but still wholly owned by the Government of Greenland. The company operates in a number of towns and settlements in Greenland, with 20 fish proce ...

(30.3%)Royal Greenland.
Annual Report 2010/2011
. Accessed 2 May 2012. and TELE Greenland (39%).

References

{{authority control Transport companies established in 1993 Shipping companies of Greenland Transport in Nuuk Companies based in Nuuk Government-owned companies of Greenland Government-owned transport companies