Gamvik Airport

The airport was closed due to economic and infrastructural redundancy. Its closure coincided directly with the opening of the new, modern Mehamn Airport (ENMH) on August 1, 1974, located just 20 km away by road. Mehamn Airport was built as part of the Norwegian government's national STOLport (Short Take-Off and Landing) network, featuring a paved runway, proper instrumentation, and the ability to handle scheduled, all-weather commercial flights operated by Widerøe. The small, rudimentary gravel strip at Gamvik could not compete and was immediately made obsolete.

The site is abandoned for aviation purposes. The original 800-meter gravel runway is still clearly visible on satellite imagery and on the ground, though it is unmaintained and partially overgrown. There are no remaining airport buildings or infrastructure. The area is now used for recreational purposes by locals, such as walking, and the runway itself is sometimes used as a rough track for vehicles. It is not registered as an active airfield and has no official aviation status.

Gamvik Airport was a simple airstrip constructed around 1970-1971, prior to the establishment of the state-funded regional airport network in Finnmark. It was a crucial piece of infrastructure for one of Norway's most remote coastal communities. Its primary function was to support air ambulance services and air taxi operations, providing a vital lifeline for medical emergencies, mail, and essential passenger transport, especially during winter when sea and land routes could be difficult. Operations were typically handled by small aircraft, such as the Britten-Norman Islander and Cessna models, flown by air taxi companies like Norving. The airstrip represents a period of local initiative to overcome isolation before the arrival of standardized, government-supported regional aviation.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Gamvik Airport. The community is adequately served by the nearby Mehamn Airport, which is part of Avinor's national network and receives subsidized public service obligation (PSO) flights. Reopening a basic gravel strip in such close proximity to a fully operational and state-supported airport would not be economically viable or logistically necessary.