Key West International Airport - Key West, Florida

Thomas C.

First time to fly into Key West International Airport. It was as expected: a small basic airport. There was construction underway so lots of walking to get to the terminal from the tarmac. There were only two luggage carousels and one was not working so very crowded with many flights deplaning and waiting for luggage.

On our departure flight the waiting area was crowded with people and there were not enough seats for everyone. Hopefully the airport expansion will resolve this issue.

Sritama C.

It’s a cute little airport located in conch state of republic. The conveyor belt is quite small but service is good. All the required amenities such as car rental, parking, restroom, bars etc are available.

Uwe L.

Small friendly airport that badly needs the new terminal. Hope they keep Conch flyer feeling alive in new building

Jeremy E.

The plane dips low over the water and you see it there - Key West International Airport, small and clean against the blue. They've painted it turquoise, like everything else on this damn island. A man shouldn't complain about such things, but there's something honest about a place that doesn't pretend to be what it isn't.

The landing is hard and true. The runway is short - 5,076 feet. The shortest Boeing 737s land on in North America. The pilots earn their money here. No room for error. The plane brakes hard, fighting the distance.

Inside, the terminal is clean and empty one minute, a human stampede the next. That's the thing about small airports - the rhythm is all wrong. A good bar has flow. This place is cardiac arrest followed by coma, over and over. The walls are the color of a tourist's first tropical drink. The floors are the color of no decision at all.

The baggage claim is a testament to man's capacity for waiting. One carousel. Small, like a child's toy. People circle it like buzzards over a dying man. Their bags come or they don't. The ceiling watches with fluorescent judgment.

Up the escalator, the departure gates are packed tight. Humanity pressed against itself in temporary fellowship. The seats are all taken. The Bloody Marys are strong enough to dull the indignity of it all. You can spot the professionals - they order their drinks with lime wedges and wooden skewers of olives that double as weapons against hunger.

This concrete shoebox somehow processes 1.4 million souls a year without collapsing under the weight of its own ambition. The numbers don't mention the collective hours spent watching ceiling-mounted TVs showing weather reports for places everyone is trying to escape.

Delta, American, United - they all come here, shoehorning their metal birds into this concrete nest. The planes look too big for the runway, like men in suits at a beach bar. The jets lumber down the tarmac like they're not quite sure they'll make it - and neither are you.

In the waiting areas, you'll see tourists with sunburns the color of emergency flares alongside locals wearing "SALTY CREW" shirts who know exactly where to stand when the air conditioning gives up the ghost. When it rains, everyone pretends not to notice the drips from the ceiling tiles, treating the indoor puddles with the same careful navigation as the coral reefs offshore.

The turquoise walls try desperately to remind you that this is paradise, not purgatory. The effect works about as well as telling a man with a bullet wound that it could be worse. At least the wound is in a scenic location.

The LEO TAXI stands ready outside. The drivers lean against their cars with the patience of fishermen. They've seen it all and care about none of it. They just want your fare and to know which overpriced hotel to take you to. The smarter ones sell rum in hidden flasks.

Between flights, the corridors empty out like a bar after a raid. Three people sit in a space built for fifty, looking lost and forgotten. Then the next plane lands, and the cycle begins again - a tide of humanity washing in and out with predictable unpredictability.

This is Key West International - EYW to those who speak in code. It was built by optimists and is maintained by realists. The air conditioning works just enough to remind you what comfort might feel like. The bathrooms are clean enough that you won't catch anything that antibiotics can't cure. The staff smile with the resigned pleasantness of people who know they're trapped on an island with the people they're serving.

A man could do worse than pass through here on his way to somewhere else. Or even on his way home. Just bring your own sandwich. And maybe a flask. The good writer always comes prepared.

P J.

Arrival and departure processing is easy. It's the condition of waiting area. DIRTY! Walls filthy and chipped. Snack bar/bar prices are high. Kitchen door is filthy. Come on airport director. Do better.

Ryan L.

Absolutely filthy airport, well past the advertised opening date for their new renovations. Hoping management can get a handle on the current situation while preparing to open the new expansion sometime soon. 2 stars instead of 1 because most of the staff were friendly.

Julie S.

Old review: I go to this airport 6 to 8 times a year. I was at this airport twice within the last week and both times found the bathroom horrendously filthy!

New review: Small airport, friendly staff, new gate project underway! Can't wait to deplane with a gate instead of on tarmac. Airport gets into the holiday spirit, beautiful decorations, pride of the location shows. Oh, bathrooms were clean the last numerous times!

schaune L.

Packed. No seating. Hot as hell. Gift shop lady was very kind. Customer service was also very kind