The first airline to operate to Båtsfjord was Varangfly, later renamed Norving, who flew seaplane taxi and ambulance flights in the early 1960s.

[6] The Ministry of Transport and Communications announced in February 1993 that they were considering taking over ownership and operations of the airport through the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA, later renamed Avinor).

[7] In December, Widerøe articulated that Båtsfjord Airport did not meet the demands for future operation as it lacked proper navigational aids and an asphalt runway.

The CAA stated, instead, that the new airport should be built, estimated to cost between 70 and 80 million Norwegian krone (NOK).

In April 1994 the ministry stated that they were considering closing many of the smallest regional airports, including Båtsfjord.

[10] In December 1995, Widerøe took delivery of their fifteenth Dash 8 and thus their only need for a Twin Otter was to serve Båtsfjord.

The terminal consists of a single building, with an integrated control tower, capable of handling 120 passengers per hour.

[16] The facade is covered in Russian larch;[17] the focus on wood as a dominant material was common for Norwegian architecture the 1990s, and is also seen at Oslo Airport, Gardermoen (opened in 1998) and for the venues of the 1994 Winter Olympics.

There is a single gate at the airport, which prior to the installation of security control was 17 steps from the entrance.