Development

Keflavík International Airport

The Leif Eiríksson Air Terminal was brought into use in April 1987. It was, at the time, around 20,000 m2. At present, it is approximately 73,000 m2, 3.5 times larger than when opened. During the terminal’s first year of operation, 750 thousand passengers passed through it. In 2019, this number had risen to 7.25 million passengers. This is beyond what was stated in the basic passenger forecast of the development schedule for Keflavík Airport four years ago. The schedule assumed 8.8 million passengers in 2025 and 13.8 million passengers in 2040.

It is clear, therefore, that to meet international service standards properly, the airport will have to be enlarged, and the development schedule for Keflavík Airport is prepared to meet this need. The schedule is based on an extensive needs analysis. The tasks of the schedule are divided between air terminal and the airport systems projects. The airport terminal projects are, according to the development schedule, as follows:

1. The continued broadening of the concourse between the north and south buildings, with new boarders and the enlargement of the catering area.
2. A new concourse with up to 17 aircraft gates with boarding bridge together with gates for remote stands.
3. New service desks for arrivals and departures passengers in the new north building, together with an area for baggage screening.

The airport systems projects are intended to increase the capacity and safety of the runway system and eliminate the bottlenecks that could form there. These projects include a de-icing apron, new access taxiways, a fast-track taxiway and other connections between aprons and taxiways.

In 2019, the design of a new connecting building between the north and south buildings of the airport continued. The project involves an approximately 35,000 m2 structure, and construction is expected to begin late in 2020. Invitations to tender for project management and project supervision as regards the construction at Keflavík Airport were completed during the year and resulted in a long-term agreement with the UK construction and consultancy firm Mace.

Comprehensive knowledge and experience as regards comparable projects in large international airports was required from bidders. Mace has extensive experience, including from Heathrow Airport in London and Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. In addition, bidders were required, during the effective term of the agreement, to co-operate with a local entity. In Mace’s case, the company elected to work with the consultancy firm Verkís.

Mace will be responsible for the project and its supervision as regards the planned construction, including the construction of the East Pier, a new concourse to the east and the construction of a new airport building. In addition, the company will also provide consultancy services for other Isavia projects at Keflavík Airport, including a linking building for the widening of the pier between the north and south building of the Airport. The company’s first task will be to provide consultancy services for the linking building, as there are plans to begin construction next year.

There is still some way to go before construction can begin on the East Pier and the new terminal, as construction of this magnitude requires several years of preparatory work.

Isavia Regional Airports

There was little new construction at other airports during 2019, although work was carried out on maintenance projects at scheduled-flight airports and landing sites throughout Iceland.

Tarmac maintenance was carried out at Reykjavík Airport.

At Akureyri Airport, work on the installation of ILS equipment was completed and brought on-line at the end of January 2020. In addition, the runway was over sprayed and tarmac maintenance carried out on the apron.

At Egilsstaðir Airport, the office facilities were renewed and the roof repaired.

At Bíldudalur Airport, a new surface was laid on the runway, taxiway and apron and a new gravel surface was laid at Reykhólar.

Planning and development

In 2019, a new Development Plan for Keflavík International Airport was issued, and work was done on updating the Masterplan. The airport’s Masterplan and Development Plan communicate our plans for expansion to the immediate community. The economic impact of the airport on the nearby community and the Icelandic economy in general is considerable, as is the importance of the airport for Iceland’s main industry, tourism. Stakeholders have great expectations for successful development, and the 2019–26 Development Plan deals in particular with the cost estimates and time schedules for the work and analyses passenger patterns and air traffic in the context of building plans.

The airport’s Masterplan and Development Plan are optional – they are not acknowledged in Icelandic legislation and planning environment, but they are used abroad. The aim is to communicate a future vision for the airport, setting out phasing and flexible plans that take into account passenger and traffic forecasts and communicate information on building plans to stakeholders. Planning of this type is an approach that Isavia has selected to set forth its building and development plans. The airport has gone further in its assessment of the environmental impact and has demonstrated that the overall impact of its Development Plan goes further than the requirements laid down in environmental impact assessment legislation.

The airport’s Masterplan and Development Plan have been approved by Isavia’s Board of Directors after having been considered by the Executive Board. The Masterplan is a future vision for the airport as regards land use and communications with the community connected to the airport. The Development Plan is issued once or twice a year and covers the next seven years. The Masterplan covers the next 25 years and is issued every 3–5 years. The updated development plan shows new areas of developments and the changes that have been made to plans over the last five years – since the last version in 2015.

The Development Plan is presented to stakeholders and at consultation meetings and comments are invited. The websites Masterplan KEF and Keflavik Airport major development plan are used to communicate information and invite comments from stakeholders.
Action is prioritised in terms of importance on the basis of a needs analysis and requirements based on user expectations and international regulations and standards.
This approach of formulating a Masterplan and Development Plan is systematic, and Isavia has acquired certain experience in this regard. Both the Development Plan and the Masterplan have been issued twice.

The Development Plan is sent in its entirety to the Icelandic National Planning Agency, where the environmental impact of the planned building work is assessed. Environmental impact assessments are usually linked to individual projects, but the Development Plan enables the overall impact of the planned works to be assessed before work beginning over the coming years, taking into account the increased capacity and impact on environmental and social factors.

The environmental impact assessment of the Development Plan shows the effect that the expansion plans and mitigations measures for the airport will have. Several projects proposed in the Development Plan and Masterplan promote reducing the environmental impact of the airport, such as a de-icing apron and shortening taxiing distances for aircraft. The design for the airport expansion takes account of environmental certification systems BREEAM.

Keflavík International Airport has an increased indirect impact, but greater capacity will create jobs and bring economic benefits for the immediate community. In this connection, we shall have to expect some undesirable consequences of increased air traffic, such as noise, more cars on Iceland’s roads, carbon dioxide emissions, etc. Isavia monitors noise and air pollution near the airport and officially publishes the findings. Isavia also favours environmentally friendly solutions for expanding the airport and terminal.

It is difficult to assess the indirect impact of the operations at Keflavík International Airport, but a report commissioned by Isavia on the significance of airport development for the future  clearly shows the expected direct economic impact.

When formulating its Masterplan, Isavia has endeavoured to foster good relations with the immediate community. Consultation meetings are held when devising plans, and plans are regularly presented to stakeholders and the media. Isavia has set up a consultation forum in conjunction with the immediate community – under the aegis of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – and has good relations with the main stakeholders.