The Organization for the Development of Keflavík Airport in Iceland (Thróunarfélag Keflavíkurflugvallar) was officially founded yesterday.
The Organization’s goal is to boost the economy of the Sudurnes area in southwest Iceland and make use of the deserted US Naval Air Station* near the airport, as reported in all the main media.
Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde told Fréttabladid that the Organization will lay the foundation for development in the area around the airport, but hopes that with time it will earn profit.
The Organization is state-owned and the initial capital was ISK 20 million (EUR 232,559, USD 292,483).
The Prime Minister finds it important to turn the properties on the deserted base, which now belongs to the state, into profitable companies, which in his opinion could benefit from being located near an international airport.
In the incipient stages, the Organization will concentrate on the maintenance of the buildings in the former army base and on the cleanup of the area, which is polluted.
Board member and mayor of Reykjanesbaer, Árni Sigfússon, told RÚV that he hopes to establish aviation related businesses in the area and to employ the almost 100 workers, who used to work for the base.
*The US Naval Air Station was incorrectly referred to as an army base in the previous version of this article. The error has now been corrected.
