Culture, collaboration and capacity: Keflavík Airport’s post-pandemic progress

“I came into aviation after being 20 years in IT and Telco,” she explained. “I didn’t intend to leave tech because in my mind, nothing is as exciting as tech these days. But aviation technology is everywhere, and it is at least as exciting. So much is happening.”

Fast recovery and unpredictable nature

Keflavík Airport was among the quickest to bounce back to pre-pandemic traffic levels. “We were actually on pre-pandemic levels in terms of passenger numbers in 2023,” Anna said. Iceland’s open-border approach, combined with unique tourism events, namely a series of volcanic eruptions, played a surprising role. “We just finished our eleventh eruption since 2021,” she said, describing them as ‘tourist-friendly’ in that they haven’t disrupted aviation and, in some cases, even drew travellers.

Still, eruptions have had operational impacts. “The main challenge has been lava flowing over water pipes, hot water, cold water, utilities, roads… that has been the biggest challenge so far,” she said, adding that a nearby town had to be evacuated and remains largely uninhabited.

Addressing capacity constraints

From an infrastructure standpoint, Keflavík is constrained not by space but by terminal capacity. “We are a gate-restricted airport,” Anna noted. “The terminal is long overdue when it comes to space.”

To tackle this, the airport has embarked on a significant expansion. “We have been constructing 50,000 square metres in the past three years,” she explained. The next step is creating a central terminal hub that will better connect the airport’s north and south sections.

Airside, the airport is also gearing up with an advanced surface movement guidance, control system (A-SMGCS) and airport collaborative decision making (A-CDM). This ensures the airfield can keep pace with terminal growth. “We are equipping ourselves with A-SMGCS to help in low visibility conditions, which we experience often in Iceland, and to enhance safety and give us more capacity on the runway system,” she said.

Digital foundations and data-led collaboration

One of the areas where Anna sees the greatest potential is in operational technology, not just passenger-facing innovation, but systems that optimise everything “below wing and above wing.”

“What I find amazing is the amount of data already being produced in airports, but that has never really been utilised,” she said. At Keflavík, the airport has taken the lead in becoming what she calls the “main cogwheel in the airport ecosystem,” working to ensure real-time data is shared with partners, including airlines and ground handlers.

Rather than wait for reciprocity, Isavia took the first step. “We have given the airlines insight into our in-flight system, OTP, baggage performance… instead of just sending reports, we’re sharing the data itself,” she said. “It’s about trust. Now, we’re all talking about the same data, and that itself eliminates a lot of finger-pointing.”

“It has been a nice surprise how this new culture of collaboration is helping us when it comes to really utilising the data that we have in common.”

Building a constructive culture

As part of the airport’s master plan for 2020-2045, the airport is expanding. They just opened a 25,000 square metre east wing in the north terminal, so the next phase of the project is to start better connecting the north and south part of the terminal.

Behind the scenes, the airport has also undergone a quiet transformation, one that may prove even more foundational than infrastructure. “We call it the Cultural Journey,” said Anna, referring to a company-wide initiative that began four years ago to build a more constructive, collaborative working environment.

“We’ve gone from being a dominant and passive culture, two opposites that strangely thrive together, to something more constructive,” she said. “It means leaning into difficult conversations and not backing away until things are resolved.”

The results have been tangible. “Our partners (airlines, handlers) now come to us saying it’s so much easier to do business with us,” she said. “We’ve turned from being a landlord to being an enabler.”

Looking ahead

Keflavík continues to focus on strengthening both capacity and passenger experience. Projects include better gate-area design, dedicated spaces for families and trialling a new AI-driven feedback tool from Schiphol known as TREVOR.

On sustainability, SAF uptake remains a long-term goal, but local production is unlikely due to Iceland’s limited agricultural output. “We would have to up our electricity production by 37% or more to be able to produce the SAF needed,” she acknowledged.

Still, Anna remains focused on what can be done now. “We’re progressing. Step by step. You have to start with digital literacy, structure your data, build trust, and the rest will follow.”