Keflavík Airport

Local History

You can find information about the local history along some hiking trails in the town.

The main focus is on photographs from the past together with a short informative text.

Keflavík Airport

The first airline terminal opened on the Keflavík air base in 1947. It offered services for airline passengers, with lounges, a ticket desk, a post office and a restaurant. On the upper floor was a hotel.

When it opened the Keflavík terminal was one of the most luxurious on the north Atlantic route. It made a great impression, and for some time the Iceland Tourist Bureau operated guided tours of the terminal.

Initially Keflavík Airport served only foreign passengers crossing the north Atlantic on flights with a refuelling stop in Iceland. Other international flights went via Reykjavík Airport. In the 1960s airlines largely transferred their activities to Keflavík Airport.

In 1987 the terminal on the military base was replaced by the new Leifur Eiríksson Terminal. The old terminal building was used by the US military on the base. It was finally demolished in 2017-18.

Photographs, counting from above:

1. Photographer: Heimir Stígsson

2. Photographer: Knútur Höiriis

3. Photographer: Heimir Stígsson

4. Photographer: Heimir Stígsson