---
title: "KEF is which airport? Reykjavík"
description: "KEF is Keflavík International Airport in Reykjavík, Iceland. Why the code is KEF and not something you could guess, plus the codes it gets mixed up with."
url: https://atoneplace.net/airport/kef/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What airport is KEF?

**KEF is: Keflavík International Airport**

Reykjavík, Iceland

## Why the code is KEF

KEFlavík, the town it sits in, 30 miles from Reykjavík.

The airport authority or a contemporaneous record states this directly.

## The airport

- **IATA code:** KEF
- **ICAO code:** BIKF
- **Airport:** Keflavík International Airport
- **City:** Reykjavík, Iceland
- **Code origin:** Documented

Keflavík was built by the US military during the war and remained a NATO base until 2006. Its position mid-Atlantic made Icelandair's free-stopover model possible: almost any Europe-to-North-America routing can be broken here at no extra fare.

## Codes people book by mistake

| Code | What it actually is |
| --- | --- |
| RKV | Reykjavík city airport, used for domestic and Greenland flights. Not where international flights land. |

## The other code, BIKF

Every airport has two codes. The three-letter IATA code, KEF, is the one on your boarding pass and your luggage tag, and it is assigned for commercial use. The four-letter ICAO code, BIKF, is the one pilots and controllers use, and it is assigned geographically: the first letter or two identify the region, so every airport in the same part of the world shares a prefix. That is why BIKF looks nothing like KEF.

## Common questions

### What airport is KEF?

Keflavík International Airport, in Reykjavík, Iceland.

### Why is Reykjavík's airport called KEF?

KEFlavík, the town it sits in, 30 miles from Reykjavík.

### What is the difference between KEF and BIKF?

KEF is the IATA code, used commercially — tickets, timetables, luggage tags. BIKF is the ICAO code, used operationally by pilots and air traffic control, and assigned geographically by region.

### Is KEF the same as RKV?

No. RKV is reykjavík city airport, used for domestic and Greenland flights. Not where international flights land.

## Related pages

- [Iceland](https://atoneplace.net/country/iceland/)
- [The flag of Iceland](https://atoneplace.net/flag/iceland/)
- [Airport codes in Iceland](https://atoneplace.net/airport/in/iceland/)

## Sources

- OurAirports — OurAirports (https://ourairports.com/data/) [Public domain]