The airport was built as a joint project between Hamar Municipality and the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF).

The airport received a refurbishment in 1985 and from 1986 to 1988 Widerøe operated scheduled services to Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim.

It used the lake of Mjøsa as its water body and during winter it would occasionally be prepared so that ski planes could land.

[4] Braathens SAFE started flying scheduled services to Hamar from 16 May 1956, using de Havilland Herons.

[6] As a short-time replacement, Solbergfly started a route which connected Notodden Airport, Tuven with Oslo and Hamar, using a Cessna 310.

[8] Flytransport was established at the airport in 1964 and operated taxi flights and an aviation school, specializing in helicopter training.

As these two companies were established at the airport, they and the aviation club Hamar Flyklubb took over a large part of the operating responsibility.

[3] During the early 1980s the government was considering building a regional short take-off and landing airport in the Mjøsa area.

[9] Widerøe announced plans in 1983 to start flights to Hamar, initially by carrying out a test landing with a de Havilland Canada Dash 7.

ten million krone, but a decision was made more complicated due to the airport being located in three municipalities.

[12] The airport at Rudshøgda was approved by Parliament later that year, causing the Ministry of Transport and Communications to halt all support to Stafsberg.

[2] Widerøe was in August 1986 awarded a concession to operate flights from Hamar to Oslo, Trondheim and Bergen Airport, Flesland, using de Havilland Canada Twin Otters.

[19] By then the aviation company Scan-Craft, originally known as Lyslid Flyservice, had started an aircraft maintenance service at Stavsberg.

[2] The announced immediately after Widerøe's termination notification that they would apply to operate a route from Hamar to Bergen, using a Dornier 228.