Akureyri Airport

Akureyri Airport (Icelandic: Akureyrarflugvöllur) (IATA: AEY, ICAO: BIAR) is a single-runway international airport in Akureyri, Iceland located about 3 km south of the town center. Air Iceland and Norlandair link the airport with several domestic locations.

History

Scheduled air travel to Akureyri started in 1928 when Flugfélag Íslands ("Airline of Iceland") began flying on seaplanes to Reykjavík, landing on the fjord of Eyjafjörður near downtown Akureyri. The airline was short-lived, as it ceased operations after only three years. Another airline, Flugfélag Akureyrar ("Airline of Akureyri"), was founded in 1937 and in 1940 it changed its name to Flugfélag Íslands, though it was in no way affiliated with its predecessor. In 1944, Loftleiðir, started flying from Reykjavík on Grumman Goose seaplanes, which added competition to the popular route.
It was not until the early 1950s that construction of the airport itself started on top of a landfill on the delta of Eyjafjörður river, a few kilometers from the town's center. A new terminal was constructed in 1961, which was renovated in 2000 to better equip the airport for International flights.

Akureyri

Akureyri [ˈaːkʰʏrˌeiːrɪ] is a small city in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area (after the Capital Region) and fourth largest municipality (after Reykjavík, Hafnarfjörður, and Kópavogur).

Nicknamed the Capital of North Iceland, Akureyri is an important port and fishing centre. The area where Akureyri is located was settled in the 9th century but did not receive a municipal charter until 1786. The town was the site of Allied units during World War II. Further growth occurred after the war as the Icelandic population increasingly moved to urban areas.

The area has a relatively mild climate due to geographical factors, and the town's ice-free harbour has played a significant role in its history.

History

The Norse Viking Helgi magri (the slim) Eyvindarson originally settled the area in the 9th century. The first mention of Akureyri is in court records from 1562 when a woman was sentenced there for adultery. In the 17th century, Danish merchants based their camps at the current site of Akureyri, which was one of the numerous spits of land in Pollurinn. The main reasons for choosing this spot for trading operations were the outstanding natural harbour and the fertility of the area. The merchants did not live at Akureyri year-round but returned home in the winter.