Civilian operations originally commenced in 1955 when Braathens SAFE started services with their de Havilland Heron.

[2] The second phase of construction was completed in 1944 and resulted in an array of support infrastructure and a 1,571 by 80 meters (5,154 by 262 ft) concrete runway.

Lista never received any permanent stationing of squadrons, instead supporting various training schools and missions.

Through funding from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), List was designated a full-scale reserve base.

This involved the construction of a new, 2,990-meter (9,810 ft) runway and taxiway and stands for two squadrons of fighter jets, each in a designated area.

The airport did not generate sufficient patronage to support the larger successor aircraft, the Fokker F27 Friendship.

The twice-daily stopover on a Stavanger to Oslo flight was loss-bringing for Braathens, but part of their concession which secured them a monopoly on several profitable domestic services.

[9] Braathens wet leased some flights from Busy Bee using a Short Skyvan, as the F28s were often too large for the services to Stavanger.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications gave Braathens permission to withdraw from the Lista service at the end of the summer schedule of 1980, which the airline did.

[13] The route was terminated in February 1988 when Norving pulled out of all scheduled services in Southern Norway.

[14] Due to the restructuring of the military in the 1990s, Parliament voted on 8 June 1994 to close Lista Air Station.

Effective from 1 June 1996, the military was set to retain ownership of the facility for ten years.

In June 1996 the Defence Estates Agency signed a ten-year lease on the entire air station with the latter company for an annual rent of 10,000 Norwegian krone per year.

Lista Lufthavn received an option for the company to buy the entire facility for NOK 25 million.

[17] Air Stord commenced scheduled services twice a day from Lista to Oslo and Stavanger from 24 June.

[18][19] This was secured through two local shipping companies and the municipalities buying a significant portion of the airline.

[20] In 1999 the agency were in talks with Farsund Municipality, but stipulated a sales price of NOK 200 million.

[27] Lista Air Show, presenting veteran military aircraft, was organized annual three times from 2009 through 2011, drawing up to 4,000 spectators.

This includes the runways, the taxiway and the road network, the remaining buildings from the Second World War and Marka.

It remains an important wetland area for migratory birds and is part of a Ramsar site.

[36] There were also plans to use the airport for offshore helicopter transport to oil platforms in the North Sea.