N E S W 117°
13 / 31
RWY 13/31
HDG 117°
LEN 4,035 ft
Reykjavik Airport

Runway 13 at BIRK

Runway 13/31 at Reykjavik Airport (BIRK) in Reykjavik is a 4,035 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 117°/297°. The runway is 148 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 55 landings and 19 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.0% of arrivals resulting in a go-around. Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 2.5°, touchdowns averaging 727 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 80 kt, a 2.6 kt average crosswind component, a 8.6 kt average headwind.

Last 30 Days
74 Operations
19 Deps / 55 Arrs

Runway 13/31 at Reykjavik Airport (BIRK) in Reykjavik is a 4,035 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 117°/297°. The runway is 148 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 55 landings and 19 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.0% of arrivals resulting in a go-around. Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 2.5°, touchdowns averaging 727 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 80 kt, a 2.6 kt average crosswind component, a 8.6 kt average headwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

55 landings observed on Runway 13 in the last 30 days, alongside 19 departures.

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 14:00 with 10 arrivals on the recent sample.

Average Touchdown Zone

Aircraft touch down on average 727 ft from the threshold on Runway 13.

Prevailing Wind & Gust History

Over the past 365 days, winds at BIRK have prevailed from the east (90°), accounting for roughly 16% of windy observations. Average wind speed sits at 9.2 kt with peak gusts to 51 kt. Strong winds (≥20 kt) occur on about 6% of observations — pilots flying into runway 13 should plan for occasional gusty conditions.

Light Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 2.6 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 13 alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 2.5° on Runway 13, shallower than the standard 3°.

Landing Behavior and Touchdown Performance

The metrics below are computed from ADS-B trace data observed at Runway 13 over the last 30 days. Each value is shown only when at least 10 valid samples were available; sparse cells are hidden rather than estimated.

Avg approach slope
2.5°
Avg touchdown GS
80 kts
Avg touchdown zone
727 ft
Avg headwind
8.6 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

10:00 3 landings
11:00 5 landings
12:00 4 landings
13:00 4 landings
14:00 10 landings
15:00 8 landings
16:00 8 landings
17:00 4 landings
19:00 4 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 13 grouped by hour-of-day (UTC).

Approach Types and Categories

Aircraft approach runways using different procedures based on weather conditions, visibility, and available navigation equipment. An Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach provides precision horizontal and vertical guidance using ground-based radio signals, enabling aircraft to land in low visibility conditions. Visual approaches require pilots to maintain visual contact with the runway and surrounding terrain, typically used during clear weather. Area Navigation (RNAV) approaches use GPS technology to guide aircraft along specific flight paths.

Approach Categories Explained

Category (CAT) classifications define minimum visibility and decision height requirements for instrument approaches. Higher categories enable operations in lower visibility conditions.

CAT I
Decision Height: 200 ft
Visibility: 550m
CAT II
Decision Height: 100 ft
Visibility: 300m
CAT III
Decision Height: 0-50 ft
Visibility: 0-200m
Visual
Clear of Clouds
Visibility: 5 km

Wind and Environmental Factors

Wind conditions directly impact runway operations, influencing approach difficulty, landing performance, and runway selection. Runway 13 benefits from favorable wind alignment, with prevailing winds creating minimal crosswind components for most operations. Average wind speeds of 12 knots pose no operational constraints for commercial aircraft.

24-Hour Wind Pattern

10:00
89° at 8 kts, gusting 15 kts
8 kts
11:00
92° at 8 kts, gusting 17 kts
8 kts
12:00
92° at 8 kts, gusting 17 kts
8 kts
13:00
92° at 8 kts, gusting 17 kts
8 kts
14:00
110° at 9 kts, gusting 19 kts
9 kts
15:00
110° at 9 kts, gusting 19 kts
9 kts
17:00
130° at 15 kts, gusting 26 kts
15 kts
19:00
131° at 15 kts, gusting 25 kts
15 kts
16:00
152° at 6 kts, gusting 9 kts
6 kts
METAR
350° at 3 kts, gusting 0 kts
3 kts

Wind patterns show typical diurnal variation with stronger winds during midday hours.

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
117°
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 74 operations recorded over the past 30 days, derived from global ADS-B flight broadcasts. Coverage may be incomplete in areas with limited ground-station reception, and statistics may vary with weather and traffic volume.