A new city proposal calls upon the national government to ban military vehicles – primarily military aircraft from other countries – from entering city limits.
The proposal, passed by city hall, calls upon the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Icelandic Civic Aviation Authority to keep such vehicles out of city limits. According to data provided by Isavia – the company which oversees airport operations in Keflavík and Reykjavík – 37 military aircraft landed in Reykjavík airport this year, and the year before that, 28.
The city proposal points out that Icelandic authorities have not been properly informed if any of these aircraft are carrying weapons, bombs, or nuclear weapons.
Reykjavík has newly taken part in a project called “Mayors For Peace”, which includes as one of its goals the elimination of nuclear weapons by the year 2020. How realistic this goal is or not aside, it is incongruent with such a goal in mind to allow military aircraft which may be carrying nuclear weapons to land in the city airport.
“A peaceful and responsible city administration cannot be pleased with an unchanged situation at Reykjavík airport,” the proposal reads in part. “The city government asks that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs focuses on seeing to it that all military traffic to and from the airport be stopped. Icelanders live by a centuries-old tradition of peace. The nation is peaceful, without an army, and strives to support peace in the world.”
A response from the ministry is still pending.
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