Hvassahraun Airport location still under review

Weather-wise, there is nothing to prevent the development of an airport in Hvassahraun on the Reykjanes peninsula. Also, the airport area is mostly outside the defined volcano systems and the probability of eruptions in the area is negligible, in addition to the fact that the area is not exposed to the lava flow of small eruptions that occur in the nearest volcano. Also, transportation is not considered to have a major long-term impact on domestic flights.

This is one of the main findings of the report of the working group on the airport in Hvassahraun, which has been working since 2020. The goal was to fully investigate the advantages of building and operating an airport that would serve as a backup airport, a domestic airport and an airport for training, training and private flights. Would this airport replace Reykjavík Airport, but there has been a lot of discussion over the past two decades about moving that airport out of Vatnsmýri to make room, among other things, for settlements.

The results of the report were presented at a recent meeting of the Ministry of Infrastructure.

Weather conditions no worse than over Reykjavík airport

It says, among other things, that restrictions due to wind or crosswinds, cloud visibility or turbulence are no greater in Hvassahraun than is generally known in the southwest.

Over the years, there has been a lot of talk, among other things, about possibly greater turbulence over Hvassahraun than over Reykjavík Airport. The working group's conclusion after measurements and test flights over both Reykjavík Airport and Hvassahraun was that turbulence was generally higher in wind directions between north and east at Reykjavík Airport. However, it would be the other way around and higher in Hvassahrauni for wind directions from east to south, which are also common wind directions there.

"Mostly outside defined volcanic systems"

In light of the repeated eruptions at Mt Fagradalsfjall and Sundhnúkagígar crater row, natural hazards have been at the fore when it comes to warnings about possible development in Hvassahraun. However, the report's authors say that in the event of a natural hazard, the airport area is "mostly outside the defined volcanic systems and the probability of eruptions in the area is minimal."

"The area is not exposed to the lava flows of small eruptions, but if an eruption occurs in the Krýsuvík volcano system, the closest to the area, the results indicate that it is likely that part of the location area will be exposed to lava. However, the chances of that decrease the further north you get to the area," says the report.

The airport parking lot in Hvassahraun is about 15-20 km from the lava boundary and craters in the current eruption at Mt Sundhnúkur, while Keflavík Airport is about 10-15 km away. The distance from Hvassahraun to the lava and eruptions that came from the previous eruption that happened at Mt Fagradalsfjall is about 10 km.

Negligible probability of flow from other volcanoes

It is also considered unlikely that lava flows over the Reykjanesbraut in this area, but not excluded.

Lava flows from other volcanoes on the Reykjanes peninsula are considered negligible, and it is certain that the effects of earthquakes can be easily controlled in all structural designs. "It is most likely that gas pollution will not be high in the observation area, but that conditions may arise where the air quality becomes very unhealthy due to sulfur dioxide and the gas concentration well exceeds the dangerous limit. It is most likely that an eruption will only cause a short-term effect on the observation area in Hvassahraun."

Little impact on domestic flights

The group most likely believes that the long-term impact on demand for domestic flights will not be large if there is a transfer, as well as the long-term impact on training, training and private flights. "However, the transfer of domestic flights to Keflavík is likely to have a major impact on its use," says the report.

In a summary of the report, these results are summarized: "Weather-wise, there is nothing to prevent the continuation of preparations for the construction of an airport in Hvassahraun that would serve teaching, training and private flights, domestic flights and as an alternate airport for international flights. It cannot be ruled out that the airport will be affected by a lava flow, but the probability is considered extremely low."

Want to earmark the area for the airport and do more work

The committee proposes that an area be taken from Hvassahrauni and that two 3,000 meter long runways and a third runway of 1,500 meters be provided to increase the serviceability factor for aircraft with low crosswind resistance. Work will also be done on investment risk assessment, business plan, financing, phasing and construction timing.

It is also suggested that further research and flight tests be carried out, especially under difficult conditions and more accurate modeling implemented for turbulence in the area.

Follows an agreement from 2019

The working group began working following the committee's report on the analysis of options for the future organization of airport issues in the south-western corner of the country, but that report was published in November 2019 and the agreement between the state and the city of Reykjavík on cooperation in research on the possibility of building a new airport in Hvassahraun.

Those who sit on the steering committee and who wrote the report are Eyjólfur Árni Rafnsson, chairman of the steering committee and project manager, Birgir Örn Ólafsson and Kolbrún Jóna Pétursdóttir from the Association of Local Authorities in Suðurnes, Ólöf Örvarsdóttir and Haraldur Sigurðsson from Reykjavík City and Friðfinnur Skaftason from the Ministry of Infrastructure.

Little optimism about development in Hvassahraun

After the eruptions on the Reykjaness Peninsula, hopes for development in Hvassahraun seem to have faded somewhat, and the mayor said, among other things, this summer that Reykjavík airport would remain in Vatnsmýri.

The CEO of Isavia has also pointed out that it will cost hundreds of billions ISK to build another international airport that can handle connecting flights like Keflavík Airport. The ideas that have been put forward with Hvassahraun, however, rather assume that it will be a domestic airport, but at the same time a backup airport for Keflavík Airport, and not a fully equipped international airport for connecting flights.

It was also noticed this summer that the landowners of Hvassahraun's land had put the land up for sale. The land is about 2,200 hectares in size, but the owners believed that the chances of an airport had decreased, but that perhaps it would be possible to set up facilities for helicopters that could serve tourists. However, the value would lie in the water resources under the ground.

The CEO of Icelandair, Bogi Nils Bogason, said this summer that the company had written off the possibility of a new domestic and international airport in Hvassahraun for the next decades and that there was no need for a new airport. "We have four international airports in Iceland today, which are just fine, but it makes sense to strengthen them even more." For example, the airport here in Vatnsmýri, it needs to be made even better, both for passengers and employees, and to further strengthen it as an alternate airport," Bogason was quoted as saying in a news report on RÚV in July.