The saga of two Icelandic Airports RKV AND KEF GOING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS 36 | AIRWAYS | NOVEMBER 2016 www.airwaysmag.com Iceland’s two busiest airports—Keflavik (KEF) and Reykjavik (RKV)—are 30 miles (50km) from each other; yet, in many ways, they seem continents apart. Both of World War II vintage, Reykjavik has seen little change over the past 60 years and its future is shaky, whereas Keflavik is busy expanding. Story by KEN DONOHUE / airport review / REYKJAVIK AIRPORT can be despite polls suggesting that 70% of traced back to 1919, when an Avro Icelanders (and the same proportion 504 took off from the site of the of those living in Reykjavik) would present-day airport for the first like to see the airport remain open. time. This first experiment with powered flight in the country was While there are the usual short-lived. By 1921, the meadow complaints about living near an had returned to farm use. Nine airport, the biggest proponents years later, aircraft operations for closure are those who would came back to the area, when a like to see the area developed. couple of Dutch Fokker DVII 2 The 130-acre airport site, in the weather observation aircraft were Vatnsmyri area of the city, is the last based there for a year. Finally, on Today, Reykjavik primarily undeveloped parcel of land in the March 8, 1940, the Reykjavik City serves domestic routes, along with center of Reykjavik. The greatest Council selected the meadow for service to Greenland and the Faroe opposition to closing the airport the location of the city´s future The airport Islands. A number of private jets comes from those, living in rural international airport. was mainly“ flying between Europe and North areas, who rely on government used as a base America put down at RKV. So do services in Reykjavik, including the During World War II, Iceland was for long-range ferry flights during the spring and country’s major hospital. a neutral country. But its strategic maritime summer. Situated in the center of location in the middle of the North patrol aircraft... the city, its convenience is obvious. “We haven’t been able to develop Atlantic was desirable for the Flugfélag any new buildings because of British, who sailed into Reykjavik in Íslands used But little did people realize, the dispute about the future of May 1940 and, with little resistance, the airport 65 years ago, that the airport’s the airport,” says Ólafsson. “The occupied the country. Additional for its limited location would become a passenger terminal where NY troops soon arrived from Canada domestic politically divisive issue. operates was built in 1948 and, and the United States. flights. while we’ve redone the inside of REYKJAVIK: DESTINED TO the terminal, we’d like to be able The building of a state-of-the- CLOSE? to offer a better experience for art airport soon got underway. our passengers.” It opened for operations in June Upon request of the City of 1941 and was mainly used as a base 2 3 Loftleidir Reykjavik, the airport’s shortest Three options are under for long-range maritime patrol used its Douglas consideration: Keep the airport DC-4s on its runway was closed this year, and, aircraft, although Flugfélag Íslands low-cost services according to Jón Karl Ólafsson, where it is, build a new one at (later Air Iceland) (NY) had an from New York Director of Isavia’s Regional another location near Reykjavik, to Luxembourg, agreement with the occupation via Reykjavik Airports, the entire airport is or relocate all operations to the forces to use the military airport and Prestwick. slated for closure in 2024. This, international airport at Keflavik. For roughly half for its limited domestic flights. the regular fare, passengers could At war’s end, commercial flights fly from New York to Europe, albeit in Iceland increased dramatically. taking several Both Flugfélag Íslands and Lofleiðir hours longer, due to the mandatory (LL) used the airport for their stop in Iceland. domestic and international flights. 4 Built in 1948 the small terminal Lofleiðir continued using the at RKV serves city airport until the mid-1960s, the domestic operations of Air when it acquired Canadair CL- Iceland, owned 44 turboprops and moved its by the Icelandair Group. The airport operations to Keflavik. With the is slated to be introduction of the Boeing 727 in closed by 2024, though no final 1967, Flugfélag Íslands moved its decisions have international flights to Keflavik as been made on the relocation well, while keeping domestic ones 3 of domestic and at Reykjavik. regional operations. 38 | AIRWAYS | NOVEMBER 2016 www.airwaysmag.com / airport review / ICELAND AIRPORTS “We’ve been having this starting to see an increased number discussion for decades,” says of polar flights, with more planes Ólafsson. “A working group has using that route from eastern Asia studied the evidence and looked and the Middle East to North for suitable options for the America. Last year, controllers in airport. They have suggested that Iceland handled more than 145,000 a new airport could be built just flights in the Reykjavik Oceanic outside the city, in a place called Area: 103,000 were overflights, while Hvassahraun. This location is the rest were to and from Iceland. The only about 16 miles (25km) from London-Los Angeles route accounts Keflavik Airport. No final decision 4 for most of the traffic through this has yet been taken. Our challenge area, making United Airlines (UA) is that, while we have this situation, the second-busiest carrier passing we can hardly plan for any long- aviation had been essential to through the control area, behind term investments of infrastructure, linking much of the country, but the Icelandair (FI) (Airways, September we simply maintain what we have.” transportation network has since 2014). The busiest time of day for been transformed. It’s now possible Three carriers flights traversing the Reykjavik According to Ólafsson, domestic to drive from Akureyri in the north operate“ Oceanic Area is between 12:00 and airlines claim they will lose 30% to Reykjavik in five hours. This, scheduled 15:00 hours, most of those aircraft to 40% of their business if all along with the relatively high cost of flights from traveling westbound. Much of the operations are moved to Keflavik, fares, has taken a toll on domestic air RKV: Air eastbound traffic crosses between a 45-minute drive from Reykjavik. travel. However, in 2015, the number Iceland, 04:00 and 09:00 hours. That’s because, in addition to extra of domestic passengers rose, slightly, Eagle Air, ground travel, the airport’s southerly to 385,000, and the market appears and Atlantic Six countries control air traffic in location would add 10 to 15 minutes to be growing stronger this year. Airways. the North Atlantic: Iceland, Canada, to the flying time. It’s believed that Scotland, Norway, Portugal, and many passengers would opt to drive A BIG ROLE IN AIR the United States. But it’s the three to their destinations. control centers in Iceland, Canada, TRAFFIC CONTROL and Scotland that decide on the Three carriers operate scheduled Isavia, a state-run company, tracks that routinely run south flights from RKV. The largest is is responsible for operating and 5 Built in the of Iceland. Airlines submit their Air Iceland, the domestic arm 1960s is RKV’s preferred route based on a number developing all of Iceland’s airports, control tower. of the Icelandair Group, which and also manages air traffic in Adjacent to the of considerations, most notably the offers service from Reykjavik to the Reykjavik Control Area. The tower and of the jet stream and city pairing. Since the six destinations in Iceland and same vintage jet stream flows predominantly from air traffic center is located at Icelandair Hotel a growing number of routes to Reykjavik Airport, and is one of Natura and west to east, there is great divergence Greenland. Eagle Air (FEI), a headquarters of between the westbound traffic three controlling air traffic across Icelandair. smaller domestic airline, flies to five the North Atlantic Ocean. The two towns in Iceland. Atlantic Airways, others are in Gander, Canada, and an airline based in the Faroe Islands Prestwick, Scotland. The Reykjavik (RC) (Airways, February 2016) Control Area encompasses 5.4 offers flights between Reykjavik million square miles and runs and Vágar Island (FAE) during high from the North Pole to the west of season, but moves its operation to Greenland, east to Norway, and a Keflavik in winter. few degrees south of Iceland. About 25% of flights crossing the North Domestic passenger traffic has Atlantic fly through this area. been declining for the past few years. This is partly because of the The Iceland Control Centre, economy, still recovering from the which has a staff of 150, including turmoil brought on by Iceland’s 76 air traffic controllers, coordinates economic collapse in 2008, but also more than 600 aircraft each day. The because the country’s road network Centre, which is funded though fees has improved. With Iceland’s Ring collected by the International Civil 5 PHOTO: BALDUR SVEINSSON Road completed only in 1974, Aviation Organization (ICAO), is www.airwaysmag.com NOVEMBER 2016 | AIRWAYS | 39 / airport review / Meeks and Patterson. Meeks Field, which was at its peak in the summers of 1944 and 1945, when more than 1,000 aircraft a month stopped at the airport en route between Europe and the US, became known as Keflavik International Airport and mainly served transatlantic flights. Patterson Field was home to air defense fighters, but went dormant 6 PHOTO: KEITH OTTO after the war.