The Key West Airport is rather grandiosely named but there is nothing international about it. They did try a couple of flights to Nassau for a while but it seems that not enough people wanted to fly direct to the Bahamas, so that died a death. As far as I know the only regular international flight was one rumored to come out of Honduras with frozen seafood to supply local demand. Plus of course we get, from time to time a plane load of Cuban refugees who hop across the waters to join us in our capitalist enterprise. Be that as it may the County Commission decided the airport was too small so they voted about $26 million dollars to upgrade the facilities.
Last week they found out the job is going to cost more than $40 million. The contract has been rife with problems and accusations and investigations and still they plow on building a new terminal on and on and on...The new ramp that collapsed killing a Guatemalan worker is now being disassembled, presumably so they can try again a second time. I'll bet they aren't doing that for free.
The thing about the addition, like so much of the new construction in Key West over the past decade, is that it's out of proportion to the needs and character of the city. There's no arguing the old terminal could use some work, it is not the most modern facility, especially in light of the security requirements since September 11, 2001, but this?
Mercifully from South Roosevelt the profile of the new terminal is reasonably proportioned, thanks to the mandated height restrictions:
Herman Wouk wrote a book a few decades ago titled Don't Stop The Carnival about expatriate trials and tribulations on a small Caribbean island, and for some reason the old Key West airport puts me in mind of that book. Is this not irresistible?
Powered two wheelers still get easy parking near the arrivals hall, and the mastodon in the middle of the scooters in actually my Bonneville:
Seen above, the new terminal is on the right connected with the abominable glass walkway to the current terminal, which is visible in the background with its shady overhang and outdoor benches, shown here: 
Key West offers very expensive connecting flights from Continental, Delta, US Air and American Eagle, but the planes are small and many are powered by propellers:
However even the commercial jets that land at Key West are on a diet. The runway is too short for them to take off fully loaded so only a portion of the seats are filled. The runway can't be extended without mangling the salt ponds at either end and the mangroves are protected. So far progress has been impeded but one wonders how long it will last. Marathon has a nice long runway but it's fifty miles away and can't seem to retain an airline no matter how much money it offers them to use their airport. The ticketing area in Key West looks much like any airport, only smaller:
The thing was, passengers went from here to the outside walkway where they went through the security check, but people grumbled that the security check itself wasn't in the air conditioning, and there are no loos in the air conditioned "secure" waiting room, all of which is either charming or irritating depending on your approach to island time. Apparently they solved one problem even before the new terminal is finished. If in doubt read the homemade sign on the door:
And a lot of travelers enjoy the offerings of the Conch Flyer bar and restaurant which is not going to survive the renovations in its current form, model planes and all:
The arrival area is like any other airport, only...smaller! And considering how few people fly on each aircraft all the kerfuffle about the staging areas and security and stuff seems overblown. This is an airport that handles a couple of dozen passengers per flight, at most. Just one baggage conveyor handles all arriving bags:
And from here one steps out to a waiting line of cabs:
Or one rents a car if one sees a need to on this small island. And from here its a few short yards to South Roosevelt and the freedom of the Conch Republic and its turquoise waters:
However the airport expansion is bringing with it a couple of other issues as well. For locals the loss of The Pines, the open space next to the East Martello Tower in front of the new terminal has been a shame. Now I grant you that it was a gathering place for our scruffy residentially challenged but I wasn't alone in enjoying the shady waterfront benches from time to time.
Now its a construction parking lot and will soon be replaced by pretty gardens to please the eye of the passing visitors.
The thing was, passengers went from here to the outside walkway where they went through the security check, but people grumbled that the security check itself wasn't in the air conditioning, and there are no loos in the air conditioned "secure" waiting room, all of which is either charming or irritating depending on your approach to island time. Apparently they solved one problem even before the new terminal is finished. If in doubt read the homemade sign on the door:And a lot of travelers enjoy the offerings of the Conch Flyer bar and restaurant which is not going to survive the renovations in its current form, model planes and all:The arrival area is like any other airport, only...smaller! And considering how few people fly on each aircraft all the kerfuffle about the staging areas and security and stuff seems overblown. This is an airport that handles a couple of dozen passengers per flight, at most. Just one baggage conveyor handles all arriving bags:And from here one steps out to a waiting line of cabs:Or one rents a car if one sees a need to on this small island. And from here its a few short yards to South Roosevelt and the freedom of the Conch Republic and its turquoise waters:However the airport expansion is bringing with it a couple of other issues as well. For locals the loss of The Pines, the open space next to the East Martello Tower in front of the new terminal has been a shame. Now I grant you that it was a gathering place for our scruffy residentially challenged but I wasn't alone in enjoying the shady waterfront benches from time to time.Now its a construction parking lot and will soon be replaced by pretty gardens to please the eye of the passing visitors. While it's true I have my doubts about the usefulness of the new expensive terminal, airport workers i have spoken with have argued in its favor complaining about how run down the current terminal is. Fair enough, but I wonder who can think that this modest little airport needs its own hotel? Indeed there are plans afoot to build an airport hotel so no visitor to the island need travel all the way (4 miles at the most) to seek accommodations. Not to mention the fact that South Roosevelt Boulevard is lined with several splendid modern hotels within a stone's throw of the airport already. The Board of County Commissioners has given staff approval to look into the first plans for the monstrosity which would be located south of the Control Tower: 
On land currently occupied by employee parking:
On land currently occupied by employee parking:
And the state driver and vehicle licensing center which hasn't harmed anyone so far as I know and deserves a better fate:
There are two things about this proposed hotel. The first is that the developers want a special exemption from the county Rate Of Growth Ordinance which is supposed to limit construction and require heavy mitigation fees. They just want to build without any of those considerations or limitations and the Commissioners didn't reject that out of hand, thus setting a precedent that will lead us God knows where. Secondly their proposal is ridiculously enormous, which is the way it goes around here. Everyone gets upset then they reduce the height to the absolute legal maximum, everyone breathes a sigh of relief and says "at least it isn't the original monstrosity" and that's the end of the opposition. We get an unnecessary hotel in an unnecessarily enlarged (expensive!) airport at a time airlines can't pay their fuel bills. Don't Stop The Carnival indeed.
