[1] The first aircraft were operational in 1948,[2] consisting of three three-passenger Republic RC-3 Seabees and a one-passenger Luscombe 8A Silvaire.

The busiest period was in 1952 to 1954, when there broke out a polio epidemic and patients needed to be flown to Bergen for isolation and treatment at Haukeland Hospital.

However, after SAS pulled out of the airport after that season, West Norway Airlines chose to retreat back to Sandviken.

[11] It soon proved too small and the following season the airline acquired a new de Havilland Heron aircraft.

Plans were launched in the mid-1950s that an 800-meter (2,600 ft) runway be built which would allow West Norway Airlines to connect to Bergen with a Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer.

However, the authorities deemed the Twin Pioneer unsuitable for winter operations and both these plans and the airport construction fell flat.

From then the local authorities stated that they would rather than the subsidies be used to build a land airport than retain sea services.

[10] Braathens SAFE was selected as the operator of the coastal routes from Ålesund instead of West Norway Airlines.

Following the icing incident leading to the crash of Braathens SAFE Flight 253 in 1956, the aviation authorities banned winter operations of the Herons.