A government commission, led by
Erik Himle and later
Preben Munthe, was appointed in 1962 to consider additional airports in Norway. The
Sud Aviation Caravelle was about to the phased into use on the main domestic routes and the committee recommended in 1964 that nine new airports be built which could serve jetliners, including an airport in
Florø to serve
Sogn og Fjordane. Widerøe launched an alternative proposal and suggested that a network of smaller airports be built instead, which could be served using
short take-off and landing aircraft, which were being developed at the time. Smaller airports could be built and operated at lower cost than larger airports, but both airports and airlines would need subsidies to operate.
Håkon Kyllingmark was appointed
Minister of Transport and Communications in 1965 and was a proponent of the
STOLport proposal. The political rationale was that, despite that the total operating costs would rise, it would provide better services to rural areas and thus keep up their population. The regional airports only received a simple terminal and an runway. The first such airports were opened in
Helgeland in 1968. All four airports opened on 1 July 1971. Sogndal Airport received a runway measuring and an apron measuring . Services were provided by Widerøe, which operated the 19-seat
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter to
Bergen Airport, Flesland and
Ålesund Airport, Vigra. This was followed up with a new and larger terminal and the renovation of the tower in 1985. Ownership of the airport passed from Sogndal Municipality to the Civil Aviation Administration (later renamed Avinor) on 1 January 1997.
Airport security was introduced on 1 January 2005. The airport was upgraded between 2004 and 2007 with expanded safety areas, lights, land- and air-side parking, a new arrival terminal, navigational system and additional garage space. ==Facilities==