Evenes is the only primary airport in Central Hålogaland and its catchment area for Oslo-bound flights includes Lofoten and Vesterålen.

SAS Commuter served Harstad-Narvik from 1990 to 2002, and from 1994 competition was introduced on the Oslo route with the entry of Braathens SAFE.

DNL's successor Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) terminated its seaplane routes the following year, leaving them to Widerøe, who operated the Noorduyn Norseman and de Havilland Canada Otter.

[4] A survey conducted in 1951 looked into the possibilities of building an airport for Harstad at Skånland, Rødmyra, Tennvassåsen and Kjøtta.

Harstad and the surrounding municipalities proposed in 1960 an airport at Evenskjer in Evenes, on condition that the Tjeldsund Bridge be built, allowing the island of Hinnøya to be connected to the mainland.

[6] The municipalities of Harstad, Ibestad, Kvæfjord and Skånland created the Southern Troms Intermunicipal Airport Committee in 1963.

It concluded that the airport for the Harstad area and Vesterålen should be built at Kvæfjordeidet, while Narvik would be best served with a motorway to Bardufoss.

[7] A government committee which had received a mandate to consider future airports, concluded with a report on 16 December 1964.

The committee noted SAS' introduction of the Sud Aviation Caravelle and wanted to build a network of airport capable of handling jetliners.

At a common meeting for eleven southern Troms and Ofoten municipalities on 11 May 1965, these unanimously supported Evenes.

They establish a committee, which issued a report to the government in June 1966, which concluded that it would be possible to have an airport completed by 1968.

[8] The airlines Braathens SAFE and Widerøe both launched an alternative proposal whereby the government instead should build a network of short take-off and landing airports.

Construction continued with barracks, which were completed in 1991, aircraft shelters, administrative offices and storage facilities, which were concluded in 1995.

[17] SAS reorganized its operations in Northern Norway from 1990 and Harstad/Narvik became one of four airports to receive direct services to Oslo.

[19] However, the airline terminated its direct service to Bergen, instead making passengers transfer at Trondheim Airport, Værnes.

[23] Kato Air started flights from Harstad/Narvik to Bodø and Tromsø on 1 January 1999, but the route failed to attract sufficient patronage and was terminated before the end of the year.

[29] The driving distance to Svolvær—typically regarded as the starting point for the Lofoten archipelago—was reduced to 160 kilometers (99 mi) and two and a half hours.

[30] The initiative was welcomed by the tourist industry in Lofoten and Vesterålen, as Evenes is the only primary airport serving the area.

[31] Kato Air terminated operations in 2008, following the grounding of its aircraft after the Civil Aviation Authority of Norway closed its maintenance division.

[32] Parliament decided in June 2012 to order the new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighters, with delivery scheduled to start in 2016.

[34] Evenes saw a large increase of charter services from late 2012, primarily targeted at bringing English and German tourists to Lofoten from London and Munich.

[40] Regular domestic scheduled services are provided by Norwegian Air Shuttle, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and Widerøe.

[42] Evenes is the only primary airport located in Central Hålogaland and the only to offer direct flights to Oslo.

[43] There are direct airport coaches to Harstad, Narvik and Sortland; other parts of Vesterålen and Lofoten are served with scheduled buses operated by Boreal Transport.

Andøya air station that currently serves as base for Norway's Maritime Patrol Aircraft, is slated for closure.

[64] The bridge will reduce the travel distance by road from Narvik to the Evenes by 18 kilometers (11 mi) and 20 minutes.

Gimsøy has after a thorough investigation been deemed unsuitable[66] as the site for a new airport due to high wind turbulence.

[43]   Independent of the airport plans, a tunnel between Fiskefjorden and Gullesfjorden is under construction which will reduce the road distance from Lofoten to Evenes by 19 kilometers (12 mi) and 31 minutes.