Atlantica - 01.05.2007, Qupperneq 77

76 A T L A N T I C A
On April 14, extensive renovations
came to an end and Leifur Eiríks-
son Air Terminal opened its ex-
panded facilities at the international airport
in Ke avík, Iceland. The departure area at
the new terminal has nearly tripled in size
with a greatly improved o ering for passen-
gers, including new shops, restaurants, recre-
ation options, and general airport services.
The renovation e orts from 2003 to 2007
created an additional 30,000 sq.m. for the air
terminal, bringing the total size to 56,000
sq.m. (or about eight football  elds). The
second  oor, now entirely dedicated to shops
and services for departures, is twice as large
as before, with dozens of storefronts added
there and throughout the building. The pier
leading to the gates has been completely
renovated with new  ooring, wall covering,
and lighting. Additionally, short and long-
term parking lots have been enlarged, and
a covered walkway has been added leading
into the terminal building.
Passenger services have also been greatly
improved. The security gate has been re-
located to the second  oor and doubled in
size, and the baggage retrieval system is now
completely automated, equipped to handle
26 aircraft simultaneously and up to 3,600
bags per hour. The check-in area has also
been expanded with 18 new desks and 16
self-service kiosks.
No one could have imagined that over the
past 20 years the Leifur Eiriksson Air Termi-
nal would become a major hub for interna-
tional travelers crossing the Atlantic. When
the airport at Ke avík was  rst conceived
in 1983, Iceland was handling about 460,000
passengers. There were over 2 million pas-
sengers in 2006 and future forecasts show 3.2
million passengers per year by 2015. With
such rapid growth in passengers and these
extensive improvements, the Leifur Eiríks-
son Air Terminal stands out among interna-
tional travel hubs for its excellent facilities.
The departure lounge isn’t just for loung-
With the terminal recently unveiling its
new facilities and services, travelers
visiting Iceland may be reluctant
to ever leave the airport.
Discover Leifur Eiriksson Air Terminal
All over Again
ICELANDa