Ruth Haines
The airport code KEF refers to Keflavík International Airport in Iceland. The airport was originally built by the US military during World War II and was called Patterson Field and Meeks Field. It was renamed Naval Air Station Keflavík in 1949 when it was returned to Icelandic control. The airport is located in the town of Keflavík and serves the capital city of Reykjavík.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Airport Name | Keflavík International Airport |
| Country | Iceland |
| City | Reykjavik |
| IATA Code | KEF |
| ICAO Code | BIKF |
| Number of Terminals | 1 |
| Number of Jet-Bridge Gates | 13 |
| Number of Remote Stands | 17 |
| Number of Runways | 2 |
| Runway Length | 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) |
| Runway Width | 60 metres (200 feet) |
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What You'll Learn
Keflavík International Airport is in Iceland
Keflavík International Airport has two 3,000-metre-long (10,000 ft) and 60-metre-wide (200 ft) runways, which are large enough to support NASA's Space Shuttle and the Antonov An-225. The airport is also an important diversion landing site for large aircraft in transatlantic ETOPS operations. The airport was originally built by the United States military during World War II as a replacement for a British landing strip at Garður. It consisted of two separate two-runway airfields, built simultaneously just 4 km apart. Patterson Field, in the southeast, opened in 1942 and was named after a young pilot who died in Iceland. Meeks Field, in the northwest, opened in 1943 and was also named after a young pilot, George Meeks, who died on the Reykjavík airfield.
The original Keflavík passenger terminal, built in 1949 within the military air base, was demolished in 2018 to make way for new development. A new passenger terminal was opened by the Lockheed Overseas Aircraft Service in 1949. By the 1970s, almost all international traffic was moved to Keflavík, with Reykjavík Airport serving domestic services and limited short-haul international flights to Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The largest carrier operating out of Keflavík International Airport is Icelandair.
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The airport's IATA code is KEF
The airport code KEF is for Keflavík International Airport in Iceland. The airport's ICAO code is BIKF.
KEF is located in the town of Keflavík, just outside the capital, Reykjavik. It was originally built by the US military during World War II as two separate runways, Patterson Field and Meeks Field. Meeks Field is still the location of the airport today.
The airport has a single terminal, originally called Leifsstöð, after the explorer Leif Erikson. The terminal is split into A, C, and D gates. The A gates are closest to the main lounge, while the C gates are located on the upper level of the south building, and the D gates are non-Schengen gates on the lower level.
Keflavík International Airport is the larger of the two international airports in Iceland, with the other being Reykjavik Airport. By the 1970s, almost all international traffic was moved to Keflavík, with Reykjavik Airport serving domestic and limited short-haul international flights.
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Its ICAO code is BIKF
The airport code KEF refers to Keflavík International Airport in Iceland. Its ICAO code is BIKF.
Keflavík International Airport was originally built by the United States military during World War II. It consisted of two separate two-runway airfields, built simultaneously just 4 km apart. The airport is named after the nearby town of Keflavík. The original passenger terminal, built in 1949, was located within a military air base.
The airport has a single terminal, originally called Leifsstöð (named after the explorer Leif Erikson). The terminal is split into A, C, and D gates. The A gates are located closest to the main lounge along the main hallway. The C gates are located past the main hallway on the upper level of the south building. The D gates are non-Schengen gates on the lower level of the south building.
Keflavík International Airport is an important diversion landing site for large aircraft in transatlantic ETOPS operations. Its runways are large enough to support NASA's Space Shuttle and the Antonov An-225. The airport is also the main hub for Icelandair, Iceland's largest carrier.
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The airport has a single terminal
The airport code KEF refers to Keflavík International Airport in Iceland. The airport has a single terminal, originally called Leifsstöð after the explorer Leif Erikson. The terminal is split into A, C, and D gates. The A gates are closest to the main lounge along the main hallway, while the C gates are located on the upper level of the south building, past the main hallway. The D gates are non-Schengen gates located on the lower level of the south building.
The airport was originally built by the United States military during World War II as a replacement for a small British landing strip at Garður. It consisted of two separate two-runway airfields, Patterson Field and Meeks Field, built simultaneously just 4 kilometres apart. Meeks Field, where the airport is still located today, opened on March 23, 1943, and was named after a young pilot, George Meeks, who died on the Reykjavík airfield. The original passenger terminal, built within the military airbase in 1949, was demolished in 2018 to make way for new development.
The South Building was opened in 2001 to comply with the Schengen Agreement, and the North Building was enlarged and finished in 2007. The terminal has a total of 13 jet-bridge gates and 17 remote stands. Although Iceland has a population of only about 400,000, Keflavík International Airport has scheduled flights to and from numerous locations across North America and Europe. The largest carrier operating out of the airport is Icelandair.
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It was originally built by the US military
The airport code KEF refers to Keflavík International Airport in Iceland. It is the largest airport in the country and the 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.
Keflavík International Airport was originally built by the US military during World War II. It consisted of two separate two-runway airfields, built simultaneously about 4 km apart. The two airfields were Patterson Field, located in the southeast, and Meeks Field, located in the northwest. Patterson Field opened in 1942, despite being partly incomplete, and was named after a young pilot who died in Iceland. Meeks Field opened on 23 March 1943 and was also named after a young pilot, George Meeks, who died on the Reykjavík airfield.
After World War II, Patterson Field was closed, but Meeks Field and the adjoining structures were returned to Iceland's control. The airfields were then 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, and in its first years, the terminal was mostly used for troop transport and transatlantic technical stops.
In 1951, the US military re-established its presence at the airport under a defence agreement between Iceland and the US. The airport served as a transit point for aircraft returning from the European Theatre of Operations to the United States. The US military remained at the airport until their withdrawal from Iceland in 2006. During this period, the airport was used by civilian airlines, and in the 1960s and 1970s, there were protests against the US military presence in Iceland, particularly at Keflavík.
In 1987, the Icelandic government finished construction of a new civilian terminal located on the north side of the airport, separate from the military area. This new terminal was named after Leif Erikson, the first European to arrive in North America. The original passenger terminal, located within the military base, was demolished in 2018 to make way for new development.
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Frequently asked questions
Iceland.
Keflavík International Airport.
BIKF.
KEF.
