Planning of Evenes started during the 1950s, but from the late 1968 Narvik Municipality proposed building both a regional and primary airport.

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.

[3] The first scheduled airline service to Harstad and Narvik was carried out by Norwegian Air Lines (DNL) in 1935.

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.

[5] An important issue for Narvik was the necessary construction of the Rombak Bridge to cut travel time to Evenes.

[3] 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.

[7] 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.

Meetings were held with the ministry, where it was determined that planning would have to wait until further reports were made on the regional network in Nordland.

An agreement was made with the municipality whereby it received the earthwork free of charge and placed at a suitable location at Framneslia, a lot which was owned by LKAB.

[10] A new terminal opened on 24 September 1986; it cost 7 million Norwegian krone (NOK), of which the state paid seventy-five percent, with the remainder financed by local governments.

The upgraded terminal allowed Widerøe to start serving Narvik with the 50-passenger de Havilland Canada Dash 7.

[11] Routes to Narvik Airport, Framnes have been subject to public service obligation since 1 April 1997, with the first contract being won by Widerøe.

The ministry was forced to renegotiate the contract with Kato Air, which resulted in the subsidy for the last thirteen months increasing from NOK 8 to 18.2 million.

[17] In the tender valid from 1 April 2012 the routes to Svolvær, Leknes, Røst and Narvik were awarded to Danish Air Transport.

Two weeks before operations were to start the Civil Aviation Authority of Norway stated that DAT did not meet the safety requirements, resulting in Widerøe instead being awarded the contract.

[20] The government supported the construction of Hålogaland Bridge on the condition that Narvik Airport, Framnes be closed.

Minister of Transport Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa stated in 2010 that money saved on having to upgrade the runway safety area and the operating deficits of the airport and subsidies for the route could help finance the bridge, estimated to cost NOK 2.2 billion.

[24] Widerøe, the only operator, decided to move the only line at Framnes (from Bodø) to Evenes airport on 1 April 2017, and increase its traffic there.