The North Building was later enlarged and finished in 2007.
It was later extended with the opening of the South Building in 2001 (not a separate terminal) to comply with the requirements of the Schengen Agreement. It was opened in April 1987 and separated the airport's civil traffic from the military base. The terminal is named after Leif Erikson who was the first European to arrive in North America ( Flugstöð Leifs Eiríkssonar, "Leif Erikson Air Terminal"). The airport was used as a hub by WOW air until it ceased operations on 28 March 2019. The United States military base closed down in 2006. The airport is also an important emergency landing runway for large aircraft in transatlantic operation in the ETOPS system, which requires aircraft to always have less than a certain flight time from a suitable landing site. On 29 June 1999, Concorde G-BOAA flew from Heathrow Airport to Reykjavík (Keflavik airport). The two 3,000-metre-long (10,000 ft) and 60-metre-wide (200 ft) runways are large enough to support NASA's Space Shuttle as well as the Antonov An-225. One of the participants was Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, who later became the first female President of Iceland.
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). During the 1960s and 1970s, rallies were held to protest the U.S. Defense Agreement of 1951 was controversial in Iceland, which had no indigenous military forces other than the Icelandic Coast Guard. The presence of foreign military forces in Iceland under the NATO-sponsored Iceland–U.S. Travelers had to pass through military check points to reach their flights, until 1987, when the civilian terminal was relocated. With the reestablishment of the military air base at Keflavík during the 1950s, the air terminal found itself in the middle of a secure military zone. military returned to the airport under a defence agreement between Iceland and the U.S. 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, for the nearby town of Keflavík. It was named after another young pilot, George Meeks, who died on the Reykjavík airfield. Meeks Field to the north-west opened on 23 March 1943. It was named after a young pilot who died in Iceland. Patterson Field in the south-east opened in 1942 despite being partly incomplete. It consisted of two separate two-runway airfields, built simultaneously just 4 km apart. 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. Keflavík Airport is operated by Isavia, a government enterprise. The airport is almost exclusively used for international flights most domestic flights use the much smaller Reykjavík Airport, which lies three kilometres (two miles) from Reykjavík's city centre, although seasonal flights from Akureyri fly to Keflavík. The main carrier at Keflavík is Icelandair, which has the airport as its main hub. Most international journeys to or from Iceland pass through this airport. The airport has three runways, two of which are in use, and the airport area is about 25 km 2 (10 sq mi). The airport is 1.7 nautical miles (3.1 kilometres) west of Keflavík and 50 km (30 mi) southwest of Reykjavík. Passengers with hidden disabilitieswho need additional support, sunflower lanyards are available at all information and check-in desks.Keflavík Airport ( Icelandic: Keflavíkurflugvöllur ) ( 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. Passengers with reduced mobilitycan request assistance from trained airport staff. Traveling with kids, there are pushcarts and strollers available as well as a playing area for kids. Traveling with kids and special assistance Self-check-in terminals are available as well as service desks. Since due to Covid-19 it is advised to arrive earlier at the airport to reduce queues, taking an earlier bus is recommended. At the departure hall on the ground floor, Departureįlybuses leave Reykjavík approximately 2.5 hours before flight departure. In the arrival hall, one can also find the desk of four car rental companies, and taxis are available upon arrival 24 hours a day.
The drive from Keflavík airport to Reykjavík takes about 40-50 minutes. Tickets can be purchased online, on Icelandair planes, and at the airport. Arrival hall at Keflavík International Airport Bus shuttle and car rentalsĪ flybus is operating between Reykjavík and Keflavík International Airport in connection with all departing and arriving flights.