Naval Air Station Keflavik United States had decided to substantially reduce the size of the Iceland Defense Force. During a six-month transition to reduce the military presence in Iceland, most facilities closed and most of the service members departed, leaving behind a core team of active duty and Reserve personnel to finish the job. By mid-July 2006, many of the military spouses and military active duty staff had transferred. On 8 September 2006, NASKEF's last commanding officer, CAPT Mark S. Laughton, presided over a ceremony effecting the disestablishment of the air station. On 26 October the government of Iceland established the Keflavik Airport Development
Chennai International Airport near Pallavaram to which, passenger operations were shifted. The new domestic terminal was commissioned in 1985 and the international terminal was commissioned in 1989. The old terminal building is now used as a cargo terminal and is the base for the Indian courier company Blue Dart. On 23 September 1999, a centre for flowers, fruits and vegetables was commissioned at the cargo terminal. The new international departure terminal was commissioned in 2003. In 2001, Chennai Airport became the first international airport in the country to receive ISO 9001-2000 certification. During the early days, Madras Airport was one of the largest