Keflavik Airport - A Year in Review
| Company | Keflavík Airport |
|---|---|
| Date | 22.01.2024 |
Some of the most exciting milestones from 2023 at Keflavík Airport include a new taxiway, opening of a new baggage hall and new borders which improve arrivals from the Schengen area.
Constructions at KEF
Mike taxiway
In July 2023, a new runway was officially put into use at Keflavík Airport. The taxiway, which has been named Mike, connects the terminal’s apron and runway. Mike is Isavia’s first addition to the runway system, as all other additions were built by NATO or the US military.The new taxiway is intended to increase the safety of the runway system by improving the flow of arrivals and departures. This means that airplanes will get off and onto runways earlier, increasing the capacity of the runway system and speeding up aircraft handling. The taxiway will decrease the waiting time for planes to get off the runway or take off during peak hours, and as a result, reduce the carbon footprint of planes on the ground, which is one of the airport‘s goals.
The east wing begins to take shape
A new and more spacious baggage hall was opened for passengers who landed at Keflavík Airport. This renovation is the first segment of the new east wing of the terminal, geared towards enhancing passenger facilities and overall experience.
Situated on the ground floor of a fresh extension to the terminal, the baggage hall represents the new east wing’s initial phase. It features three expansive and broad baggage claim belts, with provision for adding two more in the future. Concurrently, the old baggage hall’s conveyor belts will be dismantled to pave the way for an upgraded duty-free shopping area for incoming passengers.
A new arrival border for passengers coming in Iceland from countries outside the Schengen area was opened in June, in a temporary reusable extension. The new border will facilitate and improve the handling of passengers entering the area in accordance with new European regulations.
With the opening of the new border, passenger flow in the terminal improved considerably, and efforts have been made to avoid long queues at border control and shorten waiting times with increased efficiency, e.g. with self-service machines.
The building that was built for the new border will be used until a new and permanent facility for the Schengen external border can be established in a new connecting building that is currently being designed. In accordance with the emphasis on reuse during the development of Keflavík Airport, the building is designed in such a way that it can be taken down and used for other purposes when its role in border control ends.
Reviewed Masterplan for KEF Airport
Isavia has updated its Masterplan for Keflavik International Airport, which marks the first update since the original development plan was published. The Masterplan is reviewed and updated every five years to keep in line with changing circumstances and developments.
Valid until 2045, the current Masterplan remains largely based on the previous development plan covering 2015 to 2040.
Here you can study the development plan of Keflavík Airport in its entirety.
The east wing – our largest project
The East Wing is the largest project in Isavia’s history, according to Guðmundur Daði Rúnarsson, Director of Business and Development at Isavia.
At the east wing, a stairwell is being poured for the expected gangway. Guðmundur Daði says that from each stairwell there will be two fingers out into two planes. By doing so, it is possible to extend the walkway to the airplanes and thus start check-in earlier and ensure a more even flow of passengers. Check-in is traditionally the biggest bottleneck at airports, so the stairwells increase efficiency. Then it will be possible to have either two normal planes or one wide-body jet at the stairwells, which is also an improvement.
Contact
235 KEFLAVÍKURFLUGVÖLLUR
235 Keflavík
Iceland
- +354 425 6000
