It was served by Widerøe, who operated de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft to the town of Bodø and the nearby island of Røstlandet.

Widerøe commenced seaplane operates to Værøy from 1965; five years later the first helicopter services were introduced.

Planning of an airport started in the late 1960s, but unfavorable weather conditions prolonged finding a suitable location.

The fatal Widerøe Flight 839 accident took place on 12 April 1990, in which heavy wind caused structural failure of a Twin Otter.

The first aircraft to land in Værøy was a Noorduyn Norseman of the Royal Norwegian Air Force in 1948.

The routes were operated two to three times per week as a charter service, with subsidies from the municipalities of Værøy and Røst.

The helicopters doubled as serving for search and rescue duty; in case they were needed for the latter flights to Værøy and Røst were cancelled.

The regional airports in Lofoten and Vesterålen opened in 1972, with the Værøy and Røst service being taken over by Widerøe on 1 September 1973.

Subsidies of 1.9 million Norwegian krone (NOK) was granted for the route in 1973, and the service transported 5,359 passengers (from both Røst and Værøy).

A 1968 meteorological report concluded that the island was highly susceptible for strong winds, dominantly from the west, which could cause problems for air traffic.

The Norwegian Meteorological Institute concluded in 1973 that Nordlandet was the most suitable location in terms of weather, but test flights showed otherwise.

After initial protests against Nordlandet as a site, Mayor Asmund Berg accepted the location on 3 May 1984.

It is located on level section of land; just south of the runway is the 465-meter (1,526 ft) tall mountain Teisthammeren.

In addition, there were two weekly trips that connected Værøy to Leknes Airport before returning to Bodø.

[10] On 19 January 1989, a Widerøe Twin Otter became uncontrollable due to turbulence during final approach to Værøy.