Key West International Airport
Facts and Information

Key West International Airport is one of the most trafficked entry points into the Florida Keys from the air. It is an essential part of the Key West tourist economy as both a hub for commercial airlines and a landing and refueling point for private planes.

Key West airport is currently serviced by several major airlines. Although it is titled as an international airport, most international flights pass through other hubs like Miami, Orlando, or Tampa before heading away from the United States.

Airlines and charter services fly to other cities in the surrounding areas including the Bahamas and various other Florida locations and to a few large airports outside the state of Florida. The airport simply doesn’t have a long enough runway service large aircraft or widebody airplanes normally used on long haul domestic or international flights.

Direct flights are available to Ft. Myers, Ft. Lauderdale, Naples, Orlando, Tampa, and Miami in Florida as well as Atlanta in neighboring state of Georgia.

Airport History

Although the first flight out of Key West took place in 1913, it was not until 1928 that regular scheduled flights began when Pan American began to operate out of the airport. The first commercial flights were made by Aeromarine Airways in that same year.

The airport was used by the both the US Army and Navy during the Second World War. After the war the property was turned over to the county to become a public use airport.

Airlines Serving Key West

The major airlines serving the Key West International Airport at the present time are American Eagle, Delta, Continental and US Airways. Other smaller airline operators include Cape Air and Yellow Air Taxi. In addition, there are several small charter companies that fly in and out of Key West.

The airport has two terminals, one for arrivals and the other for departures.

Nearby Amenities

There are taxi and shuttle services running to and from the airport to transfer travelers around town and to various hotels. There are also branches of the following rental car companies at the airport: Avis, Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty, and Budget.

Alamo National and Enterprise rental cars are also available but are not located on the airport property. Local shuttle services are run by Keys Shuttle and Greyhound. These last two companies will transport you to various other points around the Florida Keys.

There is also a shuttle that runs from the Greyhound station to Marathon Airport, the other public-use airport in the Florida Keys. The Greyhound station has a Western Union office and lockers for storing your valuables. There is also a public city bus stop at the airport.

Long term and short term parking are also available on the airport grounds. The Conch Flyer restaurant is also located at the airport, so you can enjoy a meal while waiting for a flight or if want to hang out at the airport and people watch while grabbing a bite to eat.