1946 and zoned for use as an airport. However, no progress was made with the airfield for over a decade. Instead, the water aerodrome at Bukta was upgraded. Initially the passengers were transported to the aircraft with a boat, but after a few years a floating dock was built. Services were only provided during five summer months, from May through September. During the rest of the year, Alta had no airline service; travel time to Oslo was then six days, largely by ship. The route was taken over by Widerøe in 1954, who bought a de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter to serve a route from Tromsø via Alta to Hammerfest, Kirkenes and Vadsø. In Tromsø, the routes connected with a Norwegian Air Lines' seaplane service to Oslo. Bukta had 2,000 annual passengers in 1957, and the summer route was flown daily beginning in 1960. Local politicians started discussing the airfield plans again in the mid-1950s, and an airport for Alta was included in the national airport plan launched in 1956. The municipality started preparatory work, which included expropriation of the necessary area. At that time the plans called for two runways, long, respectively. By 1958, the municipality had also built water and sewer pipes to the airport site and had spent 60,000 Norwegian krone on the preparatory work and purchase of land. Central authorities were at the same time looking for the most suited site for an airport for western Finnmark, and were considering Lakselv Airport, Banak in Porsanger, a by-then-closed military air base. The location in Elvebakken was somewhat controversial in Alta, especially as the airport would be located so close to the town center, potentially causing noise pollution. An alternative at Sokkelma was considered, but this was discarded because the surrounding mountains prevented good landing conditions. The decision to build Alta Airport was made in 1961, followed by additional expropriation of land. Construction was carried out simultaneously with that of Banak and Kirkenes Airport, Høybuktmoen, which combined would give Finnmark three primary airports. Construction started in February 1962 and cost NOK 3.2 million. The runway was completed by the fall of that year, but other parts of the construction were delayed. By late April 1963, the airport was lacking fire fighting equipment and ground crew had still not received sufficient training. However, the issues were resolved, allowing the airport to open on schedule on 4 May 1963. Lakselv