From our blog
Iceland’s Airports
Domestic travels
Keflavik
Iceland’s biggest and best airport is located on the Reykjanes peninsula about a 45 minute drive from Reykjavik. The airport serves a range of destinations in Europe and North America, including destinations such as Boston, New York, London, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. Though passenger numbers slumped during the pandemic, pre-COVID Keflavik visitor numbers peaked in 2018, when passenger traffic amounted to 9.8 million journeys. It is expected that as the vaccine rollout continues, demand will steadily rise. As you’d expect from a major international airport, Keflavik has a wide range of facilities including car rental, restaurants, shops and other amenities.
Reykjavik
Reykjavik’s downtown airport is the area’s main base for domestic operations. Located just over a mile from the city centre, it’s conveniently close for travellers though at some point in the future it might move to a more suburban location. Aside from a few flights to neighbouring Greenland, services mostly connect Reykjavik with other major towns in the country plus some of its outlying islands. For instance, Eagle Air offers services to Höfn and Húsavík while Icelandair flights connect the capital with destinations such as Vestmannaeyjar, Ísafjörður and Akureyri. In addition, Nordlandair serves two towns in the Westfjords. Sightseeing flights, such as those taking visitors to the skies for a bird’s eye view of the Fagradalsfjall volcano, also depart from Reykjavik.
Akureyri
Iceland’s second city is Akureyri, the gateway to the north of Iceland including the attractions of the Diamond Circle and the scenic Arctic Coast Way. It’s only right that this is where you’ll find the country’s next most important airport after those in the capital region, with the facilities you’d expect such as car rental desks and a bistro. Nordlandair operates several regional flights, carrying passengers to Porshöfn, Grimsey and Vopnafjörður as well as Greenland. Icelandair also offer a regular connection to Reykjavik. During the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in 2010, Akureyri deputised for Keflavik. National airport operator Isavia has plans to expand Akureyri, so travellers shouldn’t be surprised to see an increase in routes coming out of the pandemic.
Egilsstaðir
Over to the East of Iceland is Egilsstaðir, the fourth airport in Iceland with international capacity. It is located midway between the towns of Egilsstaðir and Fellabær. Icelandair shuttles to and from this single runway airport from the capital Reykjavik. In the past, there have also been services to Copenhagen and London. As air traffic picks up post-pandemic, expect to see increased attention on this pretty corner of Iceland and perhaps a similar growth in flights and routes.
Ísafjörður
In addition to its airports catering to international clients, there are a number of smaller airports in Iceland serving domestic destinations. One of these is Ísafjörður. The Westfjords region of Iceland is relatively remote. Although this part of Iceland has a striking beauty, some travellers are daunted by the relatively long driving times needed to reach its main sights. The area has a significant proportion of gravel roads too, though these are gradually being improved. Flying in to the airport at Ísafjörður from Reykjavik saves you a journey of almost 300 miles, freeing up more time to explore the breathtaking fjords, beaches and waterfalls that are found here.