# Keflavik International Airport (KEF)

> Reykjavík, IS · IATA: KEF · ICAO: BIKF · Large Airport · Cargo Hub

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| IATA | `KEF` |
| ICAO | `BIKF` |
| City | Reykjavík |
| Country | IS |
| Type | Large Airport |
| Elevation | 52 m |
| Cargo | ✅ |
| Cargo Rank | #1 |
| GPS | 63.98500, -22.60560 |

## Description

No railways, one runway system that matters, and an island economy at the end of the supply chain: in Iceland, virtually every urgent shipment passes through Keflavik Airport (IATA: KEF, ICAO: BIKF). The country's only intercontinental gateway sits on the Reykjanes peninsula, some 45 kilometres south-west of Reykjavik, connected to the capital region solely by road via Route 41. Its defining cargo flow runs outbound: fresh cod, salmon and halibut, flown by Icelandair Cargo's own Boeing 767 freighters to Europe and North America – the export of fresh seafood is the cornerstone of Icelandic air freight. On 28 March 2026 the airport briefly declared an operational emergency after a wave of sudden cancellations hit more than 8,000 passengers across over a dozen carriers, a reminder to build in schedule buffer for KEF-routed shipments. On the growth side, Alaska Airlines added Seattle service in May 2026 and Air Transat began flying from Montreal in June 2026, both widening belly-cargo capacity on North Atlantic lanes. The airport began life as a US military base in the Second World War, and the Naval Air Station Keflavik operated until 2006, a legacy that left generous runways. Today state-owned Isavia runs the site, while home carrier Icelandair uses it as a transatlantic hub with wave operations between the continents, handling around 7 to 8 million passengers a year. Inbound, the island depends on airfreight for express goods, pharmaceuticals and e-commerce, while bulk cargo arrives by container ship through the ports of Reykjavik and Grundartangi. For forwarders, KEF is Iceland's single air gateway – with the fish season setting the rhythm for available capacity.

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*Freight Academy — Airport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/keflavik-international-airport-kef](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/keflavik-international-airport-kef)*

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*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/airports/keflavik-international-airport-kef/llm-summary*