Keflavík International Airport

Keflavík Airport (Icelandic: Keflavíkurflugvöllur [ˈcʰɛplaˌviːkʏrˌflʏɣˌvœtlʏr̥]) (IATA: KEF, ICAO: BIKF), also known as Reykjavík–Keflavík Airport, is the largest airport in Iceland and the country's main hub for international transportation. The airport is located approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) west of the town of Keflavík, Reykjanesbær and 50 km (30 mi) southwest of the capital Reykjavík. The airport has two runways, each measuring approx. 3,050 m (10,010 ft). Most international journeys to or from Iceland pass through this airport.
Keflavík is a hub for Icelandair and the airline Play. The airport is only used for international flights; all domestic flights use the smaller Reykjavík Airport, which lies three kilometres (two miles) from Reykjavík's city centre. Keflavík Airport is operated by Isavia, a government enterprise.
Originally, the airport was built by the United States military during World War II, as a replacement for a small British landing strip at Garður to the north. It consisted of two separate two-runway airfields, built simultaneously just 4 km apart. Patterson Field in the south-east opened in 1942 despite being partly incomplete. It was named after a young pilot who died in Iceland. Meeks Field to the north-west opened on 23 March 1943, where the airport is still located today. It was named after another young pilot, George Meeks, who died on the Reykjavík airfield. Patterson Field was closed after the war, but Meeks Field and the adjoining structures were returned to Iceland's control and were renamed Naval Air Station Keflavik, named after the nearby town of Keflavík.
In 1949, a passenger terminal was built by the Lockheed Overseas Aircraft Service. In its first years the passenger terminal was mostly used for troop transport as well as transatlantic technical stops; civilian airlines Icelandair and Loftleiðir were still based at the smaller Reykjavík Airport.
In 1951, the U.S. military returned to the airport under a defence agreement between Iceland and the U.S. signed on 5 May 1951.
The presence of foreign military forces in Iceland under the NATO-sponsored Iceland–U.S. Defense Agreement of 1951 was controversial in Iceland, which had no military forces other than the Icelandic Coast Guard. During the 1960s and 1970s, rallies were held to protest the U.S. military presence in Iceland (and in particular at Keflavík), and every year protesters walked the 50-kilometre (30 mi) road from Reykjavík to Keflavík and chanted "Ísland úr NATO, herinn burt" (literally: Iceland out of NATO, the military away). The protests were not effective.
Until the 1960s, the airlines Icelandair and Loftleiðir Icelandic were solely based at the smaller civilian Reykjavík Airport, which is situated within the city and did not have military access restrictions since its ownership was transferred to the Icelandic Government in 1946. Loftleiðir took delivery of its first Canadair CL-44 aircraft in 1964 and Icelandair took delivery of a Boeing 727 as Iceland's first jet aircraft in 1967. These new aircraft were considered too large for regular operation on the shorter runway at Reykjavík Airport and both airlines began operations of their new larger aircraft from the longer runway at Keflavík Airport, greatly increasing the civilian passenger traffic through the Keflavík terminal. By the 1970s, almost all international traffic was moved to Keflavík, relegating Reykjavík Airport to serving domestic services and limited short-haul international traffic to Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The road from Reykjavík to Keflavík was newly rebuilt and paved by 1965 which greatly improved access to Keflavík Airport from the city.
The original Keflavík passenger terminal, built in 1949, was located within the military air base. Travellers therefore had to pass through military checkpoints to reach their flights The situation of having to pass through a U.S. military base in order to access the passenger terminal remained unchanged as civilian passenger numbers increased and was not ideal. Subsequently, in April 1987 the Icelandic government finished construction of a relocated civilian terminal which was located on the north side of the airport. The new terminal had separate access from the military area and was accessible without passing through the military area. The new terminal was named after Leif Erikson who was the first European to arrive in North America (Flugstöð Leifs Eiríkssonar [is], "Leif Erikson Air Terminal").
The two 3,000-metre-long (10,000 ft) and 60-metre-wide (200 ft) runways were large enough to support NASA's Space Shuttle as well as the Antonov An-225. On 29 June 1999, Concorde G-BOAA flew from Heathrow Airport to Reykjavík (Keflavik airport). The Concorde had been there earlier. Due to its location, the airport is also an important diversion landing site for large aircraft in transatlantic ETOPS operations.
The terminal was extended with the opening of the South Building in 2001, to comply with the requirements of the Schengen Agreement. The North Building was enlarged and finished in 2007. The United States military base closed down and was handed over to the Icelandic Government in 2006. The original Keflavík passenger terminal, built in 1949 and defunct since 1987, was demolished in 2018 to make way for new development on the airport site.
In 2014, a high-speed airport rail link to Reykjavík was proposed, which would be Iceland's first passenger railway. As of 2023, proposals have not progressed past the planning phase but the route is safeguarded in local and airport masterplans.
The airport was used as a hub by defunct airlines Iceland Express and WOW air until it ceased operations on 28 March 2019. In September 2018, Atlantic Airways moved their operations from Reykjavík Airport to Keflavík Airport, as they transitioned to using Airbus A320 aircraft which are too large for Reykjavík Airport, having previously used Airbus A319 aircraft. Similarly, Icelandair moved all of their Greenland-bound flights, operated using De Havilland Canada Dash-8 turboprop aircraft, from Reykjavík to Keflavík Airport in 2022, to allow easier onward connections.
In 2016-2019 and 2023, Icelandair operated a domestic service to Akureyri Airport, only available for international connecting passengers. It was the only domestic service ever operated from Keflavík.
In 2016, the south terminal was expanded adding seven gates. The ramp area to the east of the airport was expanded in 2018, adding 13 remote stands. A new 1.2 km taxiway was constructed in 2023 by Isavia, which allows better aircraft traffic management at the airport. A major expansion of the airport began in 2022, with an eastern wing being constructed east of the main terminal. The first phase involved an opening an expanded arrivals hall in 2023, expanding the number of baggage carousels and the arrival retail area. As of 2024, it is projected that the rest of the eastern wing will be completed in 2025, adding 30% new terminal area compared to the current terminal, including four new jet-bridge gates, two new remote-stand bus gates and new spaces for retail units. As of 2024, a 1,900 square metre expansion of the south terminal is also under construction, on its east side.
As of 2023, a third runway had been proposed according to the development masterplan, along with new terminal piers and an airport city.
The airport has a single terminal, originally called Leifsstöð. (named after Leif Erikson). A total of 13 jet-bridge gates and 17 remote stands are available. The terminal is split into A, C and D gates. A gates are located closest to the main lounge along the main hallway. C-gates are located past the main hallway on the upper level of the south building. D-gates are non-Schengen gates on the lower level of the south building. Airside, past airport security, one emerges into the Schengen side of the terminal. To access flights to non-Schengen countries (including the UK and United States), one must pass through passport control.
Although the population of Iceland is only about 400,000, there are scheduled flights to and from numerous locations across North America and Europe. The largest carrier operating out of Keflavik is Icelandair. The airline Play also uses Keflavik as a hub and is the second largest Icelandic carrier in 2024. The airport only handles international flights; domestic flights are operated from Reykjavík's domestic airport.
The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter services to and from Keflavík:
The airport is located approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) west of the town of Keflavík, Reykjanesbær, and 50 km (30 mi) southwest of Reykjavík. The airport is linked to downtown Reykjavik via a 50-kilometre (30 mi) journey on the Route 41 dual carriageway. There is a separated pedestrian and bike path form Keflavík Airport to the town of Keflavík, but not to Reykjavík. Long-term and short-term parking is available at the airport. Taxis are available outside the terminal. Rental cars are available from various companies.
Public buses are operated by Strætó bs on route 55 to Mjódd bus station (located in Reykjavík's suburbs); the public bus stop is not located outside the airport terminal itself, but is located a few hundred metres away, near the car rental area.
Private companies Flybus, Airport Express and others operate express services to Reykjavík, including to Reykjavík Airport (domestic) as well as stops and transfers to hotels.