The airport served as an offensive base during the Battle of Britain, and was afterwards made part of the defensive Festung Norwegen.

The heliport saw a major upgrade in 1977, but was after long discussions and delays moved to Stavanger Airport, Sola in 1989.

The aircraft had been shot down by the Royal Navy in the North Sea and had been allowed to land in Norway because of its neutrality.

Sola, in combination with Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik, was of vital importance for two strategic concerns: controlling Skagerrak, and for a planned invasion of the British Isles.

The Wehrmacht had set a deadline of 15 August for the expansion to be completed, in time for the Battle of Britain to commence.

The Wehrmacht gave up on its original plan on 15 September, which also changed the anticipated role for Sola and Forus.

[4] This massive endeavor created a surge in the demand for labor, while the wartime halt to commerce escalated unemployment.

At the time there were twenty-six German aircraft at Forus, which included eight Arado Ar 234 jet bombers and fourteen Messerschmitt Bf 108 utility planes.

A government proposition from 1947 called for Sola to be converted to a civilian airport and Forus to become a military air station.

Parliament supported the notion on 12 December and granted NOK 1 million for construction to start on 1 February 1948.

A NOK 6.7 million estimate to bring the airport back into shape was found to be not worth the cost.

[10] Esso Exploration Norway was in 1966 granted permission to search for oil on the Norwegian continental shelf 140 kilometers (87 mi) southwest of Stavanger, in what became known as Ekofisk.

Helikopter Service was contracted to fly crew to their rig, Ocean Traveller, and bought two Sikorsky S-61N helicopters to carry out the job.

[15] Helikopter Service made Forus its main base, signing agreement with the Ministry of Defense to lease the grounds, which remained owned by the state.

[18] The government and local authorities decided in 1975 that Forus was to become a business district for the booming oil industry.

[19] At the same time Helikopter Service asked for negotiations with the state so they could purchase a sufficient lot to continue operations at Forus.

[16] This was met with local protests, including from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, who stated it was too close to the highway, and from companies planning to establish themselves at Forus.

Helikopter Service signed an agreement with Forus Industritomtselskap in January 1976 for the purchase of 105 hectares (260 acres) of land.

Helikopter Service would build a terminal would could easily be converted to an industrial facility and this would be sold to Forus Industritomtselskap at an undecided point in the future.

The airport would only receive operating permissions for a period of three years and the helicopter company would have to move to Sola at an undetermined future date.

A new heliport was being planned at Sola, but constant delays caused Forus to remain in use and gradually extensions of the operating permit.

It connected to the main runway at the south[10] To increase the airport's defensive position, the hangars were spread around the Sola, Forus and Jåttå area.

[10] Most were simple constructions in non-reinforced concrete, typically with three walls and camouflage netting on the fourth side.

[7] During the period Helikopter Service operated at Forus, the company had a monopoly on offshore helicopter flights.