Kautokeino Airport

Kautokeino Airport is a general aviation airport located in Kautokeino, Norway. It consists of a 1,200-meter gravel runway. The airport was built by the Luftwaffe during World War II. It was rebuilt in 1958 by the Royal Norwegian Air Force to supply its radar station at Kautokeino. It is largely unused and is now owned by the Norwegian Directorate of Public Construction and Property and the Finnmark Estate. Local politicians have called for the airport to be upgraded to a regional airport, but this has been rejected by Avinor.

The airfield was built by the Luftwaffe as an emergency landing field during the early 1940s. In addition to this, it stationed a detachment of reconnaissance aircraft. The Royal Norwegian Air Force established a radio station at Kautokeino in 1945. Transport to the new airport was among other means carried out using seaplanes which used the Altaelva river to land. The station was upgraded in 1955 and received a radar and was designated as a reporting post. Its first upgrade took place in 1958, the same year as renovations of the airfield were carried out. The main users of the airfield were Twin Otters from Bodø Main Air Station. On occasion supplies would be dropped by parachute. Once only a jet fighter has landed here, even if the field is too short for them. In June 1970 an F5 landed and took off, then using a parachute and extra rockets. Enontekiö Airport in Finland started marketing itself as Enontekiö–Kautokeino Saami Airport from 2008, although Finavia does not use the term any more. Enontekiö is located 90 kilometers from Kautokeino.

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