The Florida Keys are a narrow, approximately 180-mile long chain of islands consisting of over 200 coral islands south(west) of the 27th U.S. state, Florida. The largest are Key Largo in the north and Key West (Cayo Hueso) in the south. They are connected to each other and the mainland by U.S. Highway 1, which is largely built on bridges.
Key West is the southernmost city in the contiguous United States. It is located on a roughly 7.3 square mile island about 155 miles from Miami and is the seat of Monroe County, which covers the entire Keys and southwestern Florida. Key West’s population of around 25,000 lives primarily on tourism, trade, and services.
The famous U.S. writer Tennessee Williams (* March 26, 1911 † February 25, 1983) lived mostly in Key West from 1950 until his death. His house on Duncan Street is today one of four museums in the city.
Welcome to the Conch Republic
On April 23, 1982, Key West briefly declared independence from the rest of the USA. The reason was a Border Patrol roadblock on U.S. Highway 1 heading north, intended to catch illegal immigrants, primarily from Cuba.
The action led to significant traffic congestion and negatively impacted tourism in the region. The city government failed in U.S. court to have the blockade lifted. Thereupon, the then-mayor, Dennis Wardlow, declared the city the independent “Conch Republic” and was appointed Prime Minister. Shortly thereafter, he pelted a U.S. Navy officer at the nearby Naval Air Station Key West with a loaf of Cuban bread and declared war on the U.S. According to lore, Wardlow “surrendered” one minute later on behalf of the Conch Republic and demanded financial aid from the U.S. to compensate for the “consequences of war”…
Key West became world-famous through this ultra-short “declaration of independence” and remains more popular than ever with tourists. Cruise ships increasingly dock here, and annually up to 1.1 million overnight guests visit the island. Estimates suggest 60,000 visitors daily—roughly twice the number of residents.
“Independence Day” is celebrated extensively every year starting April 23rd with parades and festivities. The Conch Republic continues today as a “State of Mind” (a state without territorial claims) based in Key West, with a Secretary General at the helm and its own (unofficial) passport that anyone can apply for. The flag bears the “national animal,” the Queen Conch.
Key West International Airport
The airport with IATA and ICAO codes EYW and KEYW occupies the southeastern part of the island of Key West. It is only two miles from “Old Town.” Hotels and resorts have opened to the north, southeast, and southwest of the field. To the north are a paintball facility and the Poinciana Plaza neighborhood.
The single asphalt runway 9/27 measures a modest 5,076 by 100 feet (1,547 x 30 m). It is equipped as follows:
| Runway | ILS | RNP | TDZ | REIL | PAPI |
| 9 | – | Yes | No | Yes | Left |
| 27 | – | Yes | No | Yes | Right |
The terminal opened in 1957 and has been renovated and expanded several times. In 2009, a parking garage was built with 150 spaces for rental cars and another 150 for visitors and passengers, expanding the terminal to 30,000 sq ft. In 2022, work began on a glazed airside addition to be connected to the terminal. It opened on April 14, 2025, adding another 50,000 sq ft of space and eight gates with jetways.
The old red-and-white painted control tower stood west of the terminals. It was heavily damaged by Hurricane Irma on September 10, 2017. The FAA then deployed a mobile tower.
A short time later, a temporary tower made of red-and-white shipping containers was erected “next door.” This is still in use today. The damaged old tower was demolished in August 2024, though it is still indicated at the old location on current FAA and Jeppesen charts.
Signature Aviation is the sole Fixed Base Operator (FBO) present on the field. Eight airlines serve 20 year-round and seven seasonal destinations in the USA. Due to the short runway, the largest aircraft utilized are regional jets, A318s, and B737-700s.
Monroe County reported 1,477,226 passengers for 2025. No data was provided regarding aircraft movements or cargo tonnage.
Directly west of the terminal is the apron and infrastructure for General Aviation. At the far west end of the field stands the An-24 of the Cuban airline Cubana, which was hijacked here on April 1, 2003, by a Cuban during a domestic flight. Cuba is located only 90 miles south of Key West. To the south stands Fort East Martello, now one of the four museums of Key West mentioned earlier.
Information
Simulation
LatinVFR released the airport for FSX and P3D in mid-2015. FSDreamTeam (FSDT) followed in September 2020 for MSFS 2020, later making it compatible with MSFS 2024. In early 2021, Orbx released a version for X-Plane 11 and MSFS later that year.
MK Studios introduced their “native” version for MSFS 2024 at the end of February 2026. It is available for approximately €19 at SIMMARKET:
MK Studios Key West Airport KEYW MSFS24 – SIMMARKET
… and we are taking a look at their work now.
The test was conducted using the offer from Contrail, which was downloaded and installed using the Contrail app. Those who purchase from other providers will receive a code that can be redeemed at Contrail. The download is 1.5 GB, and the installation occupies 2.2 GB.
On approach, the seamless integration of the airport into its water-rich environment is immediately apparent. The careful modeling of Key West island, including hotels and the harbor to the west, is impressive. Once on the ground, the scenery reveals its immense detail within the fence: ground textures, markings, signs, buildings, and vehicles are all plausibly textured and lit.
The light-filled terminal addition has been furnished with interior modeling and static passengers. The glazed jetways are animated, docking to both the player and AI aircraft. Visible passengers move through them during boarding if the official GSX Pro profile is used.
The red-and-white container replacement tower and the hijacked Cubana An-24 are both present. The excellent impression continues on the landside with access roads, parking lots, traffic signs, and power poles with distinctive transformer “buckets.”
Add-on Recommendation
AI ships should definitely be used to liven up the surrounding waters: either the freeware Global AI Ship Traffic v7 by Henrik Nielsen or the payware from Seafront Simulations.
Conclusion
This high-performance airport was created following on-site research by MK Studios. What is unusual is that the landside modeling creates so much immersion that it feels less like a simulation and more like being there in person.
The airport almost becomes a side note, while the scenery itself is a “must-buy” for fans of U.S. flight simulation. Congratulations to MK Studios on a well-deserved Gold Medal from FS Reviews!
Bert Groner FS Reviews March 2026
Navigation Charts
Payware: Navigraph (Subscription model with optional navigation data)
Freeware: AirNav KEYW
