Surtsey Helicopter Pad to Nearly Triple in Size After Council Approval

Vestmannaeyjar Town Council approved expanding Surtsey's helicopter landing pad from 36 to 100 square metres at an estimated cost of ISK 9 million.

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Industry impact

The project shows how helicopter infrastructure serving remote or protected sites must be upgraded to match modern aircraft while meeting strict environmental permitting conditions.

The helicopter landing pad on Surtsey, a UNESCO World Heritage volcanic island off Iceland's south coast, is set to expand from 36 to 100 square metres, nearly tripling its current size, after Vestmannaeyjar Town Council approved an application submitted by the Surtsey Association. The Icelandic Coast Guard prompted the upgrade after specialists determined that the existing pad, installed in 1993, is too small for safe landings by the service's current helicopters.

The estimated cost of the work is ISK 9 million, with four workers expected to complete the expansion within six days. The Prime Minister's Office approved the project on condition that all required permits are in place, and the Nature Conservation Agency of Iceland granted permission in July, subject to strict environmental conditions.

Because Surtsey is a state-owned protected area and UNESCO World Heritage Site, all clothing, construction materials and luggage must be thoroughly cleaned before arrival to prevent the introduction of organisms, plant material or soil, and disturbance to the landscape must be kept to a minimum. Vegetation and soil around the edges of the existing pad will be temporarily removed and reused during restoration, and the extension is designed to be removable so all traces of the work can be erased. Surtsey emerged from a volcanic eruption that broke the surface on 14 November 1963, and was named after Surtr, a giant from Norse mythology.