Major renovations underway at Blönduós Airport in Húnabyggð, Iceland

Major renovations are currently underway at Blönduós Airport, which will be receiving an asphalt surface for the first time. The mayor of Húnabyggð emphasizes the airport’s critical importance for the safety of the region and as a lifeline for the community during emergencies.

Local residents in Húnavatnssýslum are celebrating the progress on these long-awaited airport improvements. The current runway is a 970-meter gravel strip, deemed inadequate for flight safety, making the asphalt surface essential.

“This project has been pursued energetically, and it is becoming a reality,” stated Guðmundur Haukur Jakobsson, the mayor of Húnabyggð. The renovations are estimated to cost 170 million ISK and involve replacing the top layer of the runway and paving it in two phases. The first layer is being laid now, with the second planned for the following spring. Repairs to outdated runway lights will also be made.

Blönduós Airport serves as the only emergency medical flight airport between the mountain passes of Holtavörðuheiði and Þverárfjall, with around 700,000 vehicles traversing the area annually. The roads often become impassable in winter, leading to serious traffic accidents.

Guðmundur Haukur asserts that the airport’s purpose has been proven multiple times: “This is, you could say, our lifeline when accidents happen. It benefits both our community and those traveling through it.” The contractor for the renovations is Borgarverk.