As big as three football fields

Construction work on the East Wing (Austurálma) of Keflavík Airport is progressing well, and once it becomes operational, four new passenger boarding bridges will be added, along with two ground-level bus gates. The boarding bridges connect to two towers, which have been provisionally named Mars 1 and Mars 2, but many may not realize how much work is required just to enable aircraft to taxi up to the new building.

The ground and concrete work for the new aprons near the two towers was a major project. The aprons are about 20,000 square meters in total — roughly the size of three football fields. It took longer than expected to pour the concrete because the weather did not cooperate with us this summer, just as it did not for other Icelanders. The total amount of concrete used for the East Wing building and the aircraft stands amounted to around 20,000 cubic meters, and 2,300 tons of steel were used for the project.

The expansion of Keflavík Airport is based on long-term projections of passenger numbers and the needs of society. The East Wing is a key element in the airport’s future development. Once completed, it will be larger than the original terminal building that was opened in 1987. It will include a new baggage sorting system and a larger dining and waiting area, in addition to the new boarding bridges. This coming autumn, two new boarding bridges and a new restaurant area will be opened, significantly increasing space and comfort for passengers on their way to flights.

To get a sense of the actual scale, keep in mind that the East Wing is 124.5 meters long — about the same as Bankastræti street in Reykjavík — 66 meters wide, similar to a football field, and 31 meters high. For comparison, Akureyrarkirkja (the church in Akureyri) is 26 meters tall.