Key West Airport (EYW) Flights & Information

Over one million annual passengers pass through this airport every year, with an average of 33 flights per day. And while EYW is a small airport, it has an outsized reputation for welcoming travelers to paradise, with the ease and laid-back vibes you’d expect from this popular vacation spot.

Read on for expert tips to make the most of your time in transit, whether you’re landing in Key West or forcing yourself to head back home and leave its pretty palm-lined streets behind.

Arriving at the airport

Passengers landing at Key West International Airport currently walk across the tarmac to claim their baggage. When I’m traveling with just a carry-on, I love that I can carry it off the plane, roll it into the terminal and be outside catching those silky island breezes and awaiting my rideshare in a matter of minutes from touching down.

The airport is currently undergoing an expansion, with a new concourse scheduled to open here at some point in 2025, and the full project due to be completed in 2026. So, watch this space for updates.

Security lines and departing from EYW

Key West draws travelers all year round. And while certain times of the year are far busier than others on the island – among them, the annual Fantasy Fest carnival, which takes place in the lead-up to Halloween, and July’s Hemingway Days festival – you’ll almost never wait more than 15 or 20 minutes in line at security here, and often far less.

Locals who have the airport wired might cut it close, often arriving just an hour before their flights. But I usually give myself at least an hour and a half before my departure time, just to be on the safe side.

The airport’s security line entrance and checkpoint are at the west end of the main terminal, and this is also where you’ll find the TSA PreCheck lines, which will speed your way through security all the more if you have this access.

There are just eight gates at the airport currently, so after you put your shoes back on post-security, you’re only minutes from your boarding area.

Getting to and from the airport

For such a small island (roughly four square miles), you’d be forgiven for wondering if there was even space for an airport that can land Boeing 737s and Airbus A319s on Key West, as EYW does. And while there’s only a single runway here (and a relatively short one at that, just over 5,000 feet long), it’s precisely the fact that the airport is right in Key West that makes it so accessible.

You can get to most points on the island in less than a ten-minute drive after landing (even quicker if there’s no traffic). And while Key West Transit (the island’s public transport) doesn’t stop at the airport itself, there are several good options for coming and going from EYW.

Car rental and rideshares at the airport

Many travelers want to rent a car to explore Key West during their stay, using it to day trip to islands further north in the chain too, such as nearby Stock Island (I always head there to eat my favorite local fish and shrimp at Hogfish Bar and Grill), Big Coppitt Key and Sugarloaf Key.

All of the major car rental companies have desks inside the terminal – among them, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, and Enterprise – but I highly recommend booking ahead to make sure there’s a car for you, especially during busier times of the year (festivals, Thanksgiving, the December holidays, spring break, etc.).

For catching rideshares like Uber and Lyft into town, just walk outside the terminal to the passenger pick-up area and head to the blue curb to the right of the arrivals and baggage claim area to await your ride.

Many island hotels also offer courtesy shuttle services from this same area. But even when I’m staying at a hotel that does have a shuttle service, I’m usually so eager to check in and start enjoying myself that if the shuttle isn’t waiting by that blue curb when I exit the terminal, I simply order an Uber on my phone and start plotting where I’m going to enjoy my first frosty beverage in paradise.

Bus services

Rest assured that this island is super easy to navigate without a car too, making use of public transport services like the free hop-on and off Duval Loop service that operates in the heart of the old town.

I really recommend doing that if you plan to spend your entire vacation in Key West, as it’s so great not to worry about finding a parking spot (and paying a premium – trust me on that). There’s just so much to enjoy and surprise yourself with when you explore the island on foot.

Key West Transit offers bus service into town from Faraldo Circle at the airport’s exit, just a couple minutes stroll once you’ve exited the terminal.

Free Wi-Fi at Key West International Airport

Travelers can enjoy free and fast Wi-Fi throughout the terminal building at Key West International Airport. Of the many times I’ve flown into this airport, I’ve been able to connect just outside the terminal doors too, when ordering my rideshare (there have been a few times when my cell service was spotty there for whatever reason, and this has been a lifesaver).

Souvenir shopping

I’ve got a habit of not remembering to buy souvenirs for my family and young kids until I’m at the airport, about to board my plane home, and am reminded of all the clichéd trinkets I could buy to conjure great memories once I’m long gone.

I’ve picked up some great little gifts for my kids and parents at this airport’s Last Chance Gift Shop. They sell everything from Key Lime biscuits and candies (the unique citrus grows in these islands, which is known for Key Lime pie), to sand dollar holiday ornaments painted with iconic island landmarks, bamboo wind chimes, t-shirts, rash guards and more.

I don’t find the prices to be marked up that much either, compared to what you’ll pay at Key West’s many souvenir shops around Duval Street and Mallory Square.

Pet-relief areas inside the airport and just outside

I don’t have any pets to travel with. But if I did, Key West would be a great place to go with them thanks to its sheer walkability, both around busy Duval Street and beyond (there’s even a dedicated dog beach to explore at Higgs Beach).

The airport makes it easy to have your dog in tow too, with a designated service animal and pet relief area located just outside of the arrivals and baggage claim area. You can head here after getting your bag – there are even waste bags available to make it easy to clean up after your pet.

If you’re departing from Key West International Airport with a pet, there’s a new pet relief area right after you go through security, near the human restrooms in the downstairs floor of the departures area. Beyond that, you’ll want to address any questions you have about traveling with emotional support dogs, service animals and pets directly with the airline before booking your ticket.

Dining options at EYW

It’s always five o’clock somewhere in the Florida Keys, so it’s not surprising that even in an airport this small, you can easily find a bar to enjoy a fruity drink or a cold beer in the departures area, arrivals area and in the main terminal.

When I’m looking for a feed at the airport – and craving one last plate of the tasty conch fritters beloved throughout the island chain, or perhaps one last slice of Key Lime pie – there’s only one choice for sitting and dining here.

It’s The Conch Flyer (Key West is known affectionately as The Conch Republic, so the name is a nod to that moniker), which is always bubbling with the excitement of islanders heading elsewhere and travelers raising their glasses to the great Key West times just had.