Keflavík Airport welcomes 8.3 million passengers in 2024, sees transit growth

In 2024, Keflavík Airport (KEF) handled 8.3 million passengers, marking a 7.1% increase year-on-year and making it the second-busiest year in its history. A total of 28 airlines operated flights to 98 destinations.

Key Highlights

• Transit Surge: Transit passengers reached 2.58 million, a sharp rise from 21.2% of total passengers in 2023 to 31.1% in 2024, reinforcing KEF’s status as a hub.
• Top Destinations: London and Copenhagen were the most popular routes, with London served by seven airlines across four airports.
• Busiest Day: August 4th saw 36,923 passengers, 34.6% of whom were transit travellers.

Tourism and Challenges

• International tourist numbers grew by 2.1%, totalling 2.3 million, slightly below forecasts due to volcanic activity.
• U.S. visitors led with 620,000 departures, followed by the UK with 266,000. Both groups saw slight declines compared to 2023.

Icelandic Travellers Abroad

Icelanders travelling internationally totalled 605,579, a modest 0.1% increase from 2023, with June being the busiest month.

Outlook for 2025

Passenger numbers are forecasted to reach 8.4 million, potentially making 2025 the airport’s busiest year for international arrivals. KEF continues to solidify its position as a major transit and travel hub.