Tourism in Iceland is spiking in popularity and the first welcome visitors get to this Arctic island is at the country’s only international airport, Keflavik. It is the main hub for both Icelandair and budget airline WOW Air.
Many passenger routes at Keflavik International Airport are seasonal, but there are some year-round connections to cities across Europe and North America. The most popular destinations from Iceland include Copenhagen, Oslo, London, New York and Paris. Routes from the United States are gaining in popularity as both Icelandair and WOW Air offer free stopover programs for passengers enroute to another European destination.
The tour company Reykjavik Excursions operates the Flybus, a series of airport shuttles. Visitors can purchase a one-way or round-trip ticket inside Keflavik International Airport, and even add on a stop at the famous Blue Lagoon. Flybus stops at the main bus terminal in Reykjavik and travellers transfer to a smaller shuttle to reach their hotel in the city centre. There are also plenty of rental car desks inside Keflavik’s main terminal.
Keflavik International Airport may be the main airport for Iceland, but it was built by Americans. It was founded as a military base for the Allies in World War II. The civilian terminal was relocated in the 1980s and benefitted from a large expansion in 2016.