The flight test community has long recognized Iceland, and in particular Keflavik, as the pre-eminent facility for flight testing in large wind conditions. A modern day Icelandic saga began in July, 2013 when an unfortunate flight test accident affected the commercial operations of the Keflavik airport. Following the issuance of the accident report in March 2016, the airport authority (ISAVIA) banned all flight testing at the airport. In June 2016, the flight test organizations from multiple companies came together and started working as a unified team to address the understandable concerns from the airport authorities. In 2018 there were a series of meetings with ISAVIA and other Icelandic authorities that included Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Dassault, and Gulfstream representatives. An Icelandic-Canadian astronaut joined the team, and proved to be a critical component of creating a mutually agreeable process to restore flight test operation at the Keflavik airport. Although there is finally an agreed upon process, almost six years post-accident there are still challenges ahead to restore the position of the Keflavik airport as the premiere destination for crosswind flight testing. Through the continued efforts and an unwavering commitment to a strong working relationship between the flight test manufacturers and the Icelandic authorities this saga will continue to add more positive chapters in the future.
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