Services are operated by Widerøe using Dash 8-100 aircraft which connect to other communities in Finnmark, and the city of Tromsø.

Their 1966 report recommended that six regional airports be built in Finnmark, which included Mehamn and Kjøllefjord as a possible site.

[4] The Civil Aviation Administration (later renamed Avinor) looked into suitable sites at Mehamn, Kjøllefjord, and Gamvik.

[5] The government prioritized construction in Finnmark last, so the regional airline Norving took initiative to build smaller airfields in selected communities.

[6] Initially the CAA supported Gamvik as a location for a regional airport, in part because of the lower investment costs.

[7] Also at Kjøllefjord, 30 kilometers (19 mi) from Mehamn, locals decided to build their own airport.

The government opted to selected Widerøe and their Twin Otters, citing the need for a single operator for all subsidized regional routes in the country.

[10] The state and the Civil Aviation Administration took over ownership and operations of the airport from 1 January 1997, in exchange for 3.9 million kr being paid to Gamvik Municipality.

The Avinor-owned airport has an integrated control tower and terminal capable of handling seventy passengers per hour.

The accident was caused by structural failure in the rudder and vertical stabilizer following severe clear-air turbulence.