issued a report to the government in June 1966, which concluded that it would be possible to have an airport completed by 1968. The airlines Braathens SAFE and Widerøe both launched an alternative proposal whereby the government instead should build a network of short take-off and landing airports. When Håkon Kyllingmark was appointed Minister of Transport and Communications in 1965, he placed the primary airport construction plan on hold and instead focused on construction of regional airports. This caused local interest for airports at Kvæfjordeidet and Vidrek to resume, after initiative from Widerøe. Several commercial interest organizations in Narvik supported an airport at Vidrek, while their Harstad counterparts supported an airport at Evenes. Narvik Municipal Council continued to support Evenes until it was instead proposed as a regional airport. It voted in February 1968 to continue to support Evenes as a primary airport, but also work for a local airport in Narvik. The Tjelsund Bridge was opened on 22 October 1967. The construction of an airport for Harstad and Narvik was discussed in Parliament in June 1970. First a large majority voted down a proposal to build regional airport for each town, followed by a unanimous decision to build a primary airport at Evenes. Construction started in the fall of 1971 and the airport opened 30 June 1973, with a runway. SAS was granted the right to fly to Oslo, while Braathens SAFE was allowed to fly a route via Kristiansund, Molde and Ålesund to Bergen and Stavanger, as well as to Bodø and Tromsø. Narvik Airport, Framnes opened on 1 October 1975, and Widerøe started operating from Narvik to Evenes. Norving started a route from Harstad/Narvik to Luleå, Sweden and Rovaniemi, Finland, in 1984, using the Dornier 228. This required the establishment of a border control at Evenes, which Norving had to pay for. The air force started looking at Evenes as a potential air station after the airport opened. Military funding was allocated, allowing the runway to be extended to plus overrun and a taxiway, as well as parking for fighter aircraft, heavy transport aircraft and maintenance facilities. The extended runway was completed in 1977. Construction of the initial auxiliary facilities started in 1978 and was concluded in 1985. Evenes Air Station became operative in January 1986. Construction continued with barracks, which were completed in 1991, aircraft shelters, administrative offices and storage facilities, which were concluded in 1995.