Both Widerøe and Norving applied to operate the Finnmark route, which would connect the airports together and to the primary airports in Finnmark and Tromsø Airport. Norving planned to operate with their Britten-Norman Islanders and Britten-Norman Trislanders. The government opted to selected Widerøe and their Twin Otters, citing the need for a single operator for all subsidized regional routes in the country.Melling: 109 Vadsø Airport opened on 1 August 1974 at the same time as Sørkjosen Airport, Hammerfest Airport, Mehamn Airport and Berlevåg Airport. The airport featured a combined control tower and terminal, which had a capacity for 30 people. Twin Otters landed at Vadsø four times daily. Norving started a service from Kirkenes via Vadsø to Båtsfjord Airport in January 1975. However, they did not have permission to fly passengers between Vadsø and Kirkenes.Melling: 124 Widerøe introduced the de Havilland Canada Dash 7 in 1984, which required an upgrade to the airport. Specifically a new terminal building was built along with a hangar. For a short period the airport had a cafe. Widerøe took over Norving's Båtsfjord service in 1990.Melling: 303
