Iceland review - 2016, Síða 73

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under two million passengers in 2011. Ad-
ditionally, it was inducted into the ACI Di-
rector General’s Roll of Excellence in 2014
for continuous success in service surveys
from 2008. KEF is serving more passen-
gers than ever and airport management
hopes that those travelers just passing
through will book a trip to Iceland in the
future. “We have a lot of transfer passen-
gers using KEF as a hub,” says Gunnhildur.
“It’s about one-third of passengers that
never actually enter Iceland. We want to
tell those passengers: the next time you
travel, make Iceland your destination.”
kefairport.is
Bóndadagur or ‘man’s day’ is another lo-
cal holiday where men are supposed to be
spoiled by their partners. Free traditional
dried fish was given to men during the
January holiday and a male choir sang in
the terminal. Konudagur, or ‘woman’s day’
was celebrated as well, with spa gifts for
female passengers. “We’re trying to make
the airport nice and fun,” says Gunnhildur.
“We don’t want it just to be the process
of getting to your destination. The airport
can be a fun destination in itself.”
UNIQUE GIFTS
Customers are often looking for special
gifts or souvenirs that remind them of
their trip to Iceland. Stores at KEF sell
goods from more than 300 Icelandic de-
signers. Everything from traditional Icelan-
dic sweaters to jewelry to housewares is
available, and all purchases at KEF are tax
free. In March, KEF featured pop-up kiosks
during Reykjavík’s annual DesignMarch
festival. Some of Iceland’s most innova-
tive and up-and-coming designers offered
their unique creations for sale.
At the airport’s deli store, travelers can
buy local Icelandic food to bring with
them, such as dried fish, skyr, lamb, salm-
on and pastries.
AWARD-WINNING AIRPORT
KEF has been recognized for its ser-
vice with an impressive array of awards.
In 2014, Airports Council International
named it the best airport in Europe, the
third time that KEF received such recog-
nition for outstanding results. The airport
held the top position in Europe in 2009
and was the best airport in Europe with
KEF has been recognized for its
service with an impressive array of
awards. In 2014, Airports Council
International named KEF the best
airport in Europe.
SPECIAL PROMOTION