BIRK - Reykjavík Airport Overview Reykjavík Airport (BIRK) is Iceland’s primary domestic airport and serves as a major hub for regional operations across Iceland, Greenland, and the North Atlantic region. Located close to central Reykjavík, BIRK handles domestic scheduled services, air ambulance flights, Coast Guard operations, general aviation, business aviation, helicopter traffic, and occasional international regional flights. The airport is operated in a highly dynamic environment with a mixture of turboprop, helicopter, training, and business aviation traffic. Due to its proximity to Reykjavík city and surrounding terrain/water, pilots should expect visual manoeuvring, rapidly changing weather conditions, and short-notice runway changes. Weather conditions at Reykjavík can change rapidly throughout the day. Strong winds, low cloud, turbulence, snow showers, icing, and reduced visibility are common, particularly during winter operations. Use of Aprons Area Assigned to Apron 1 General Aviation Apron 2 Coast Guard Apron 3 General Aviation Apron 4 Domestic / Scheduled Passenger Apron 7 Icelandic Flight Academy IFR Clearance Initial contact is with Clearance Delivery, reporting: Callsign Stand number ATIS identification letter Destination Example: “Reykjavík Delivery, ICE1DC stand 4, Dash 8 with information Charlie, request IFR clearance to Akureyri.” Pilots unable to comply with published SIDs due to aircraft or navigation limitations should advise ATC immediately on first contact. Push-back Some terminal stands require pushback procedures due to apron layout constraints, although many domestic stands allow power-out departures. ATC may issue: Straight-back push Tail east/west push Face north/south push instructions Pilots should remain on stand until pushback clearance has been received from Ground. Taxi Taxi instructions normally include the full taxi route. Pilots are expected to: Read back all hold short instructions Exercise caution during low visibility operations Monitor for helicopter and GA traffic Runways Reykjavík Airport operates three intersecting runways: Runway Length Common Use 01/19 5,156 ft Primary domestic operations 13/31 4,734 ft Regional & crosswind operations Runway selection depends heavily on: Wind conditions Traffic flow Crosswind limitations Weather conditions SIDs Standard Instrument Departures from Reykjavík integrate into Icelandic domestic and regional airspace structures. Initial climb altitudes are assigned by ATC and must not be exceeded unless cleared. If unable to comply with RNAV procedures, advise ATC for radar vectors or alternative departure instructions. Arrival and STARs Reykjavík arrivals frequently involve: RNAV arrivals Visual approaches Radar vectoring Short-notice runway changes Do not descend unless explicitly cleared by ATC. Approach Expect visual or RNAV approaches during normal operations depending on runway configuration and weather conditions. Runway Approach Types Frequency Course 01 RNP 007 19 ILS, LOC, RNP 109.90 187 13 LOC, RNP, NDB 109.10 128 31 RNP 308 Strong crosswinds are common at Reykjavík and pilots should be prepared for: Gusting winds Moderate turbulence Wind shear Rapid runway changes Navigation Aids Reykjavík is equipped with navigation aids supporting domestic, regional, and instrument operations. Navaid Type Frequency Usage RK NDB 355 Primary navigation aid for arrivals and departures RK NDB Frequency: 355 Identifier: RK Low Visibility Procedures (LVP) LVPs may be implemented during periods of reduced visibility, snowfall, or fog. Direct Routings Direct routings are common within Icelandic domestic airspace. Pilots should be prepared for: Directs to enroute fixes Shortened arrivals Vectoring around weather systems Communications You can always check online positions and sectors by visiting VATSIM Radar Callsign Description Frequency BIRK_ATIS Reykjavík ATIS 128.100 BIRK_GND Reykjavík Ground 121.700 BIRK_TWR Reykjavík Tower 118.000 BIRK_APP Reykjavík Approach 119.300 BIRD_S1_CTR Reykjavík Control 119.700 Additional frequencies and sector splits may be used during major events or periods of high traffic. Notes Reykjavík is Iceland’s primary domestic airport. Helicopter traffic is frequent throughout the day. Rapid weather changes are common year-round. Visual manoeuvring is frequently required. Crosswind operations are common due to Icelandic weather patterns.