Built by the German Luftwaffe in 1940 after Nazi Germany occupied Norway, it remained in use for the rest of the Second World War.

Lista Air Station opened in April 1941, after which Mandal remained only a reserve airfield.

[1] The airfield remained an important site for fighter aircraft which participated in the Norwegian Campaign.

[2] However, by Mandal's completion the Luftwaffe had concluded that Lista would be a more suitable site for a major air base.

The struggling Kristiansand-based airline Sørfly proposed that it could use Mandal as a base for charter flights.