Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes
Seaplanes
### Seaplanes

The first scheduled airline service to Harstad and Narvik was carried out by [Norwegian Air Lines](/wiki/Norwegian_Air_Lines "Norwegian Air Lines") (DNL) in 1935\. Using a [Junkers W 34](/wiki/Junkers_W_34 "Junkers W 34"), they flew a coastal route between [Bergen](/wiki/Bergen "Bergen") and [Tromsø](/wiki/Troms%C3%B8 "Tromsø"), with stops in Narvik and Harstad. The route continued until 1939 when it was terminated because of the outbreak of [World War II](/wiki/World_War_II "World War II"). The route resumed in 1946, when it was flown with a [Junkers Ju 52](/wiki/Junkers_Ju_52 "Junkers Ju 52"). DNL also operated a direct service between Harstad and Narvik. Harstad's [water aerodrome](/wiki/Water_aerodrome "Water aerodrome") was located at Klubbeskjæret in the town center. For a while there were discussion of moving it to Harstadbotn, but this was not carried out. Seaplane routes were conducted only during the summer.Steinnes: 477 Widerøe started flying to Narvik in 1951, at first flying via [Svolvær](/wiki/Svolv%C3%A6r "Svolvær") to [Bodø](/wiki/Bod%C3%B8_%28town%29 "Bodø (town)"). DNL's successor [Scandinavian Airlines System](/wiki/Scandinavian_Airlines_System "Scandinavian Airlines System") (SAS) terminated its seaplane routes the following year, leaving them to Widerøe, who operated the [Noorduyn Norseman](/wiki/Noorduyn_Norseman "Noorduyn Norseman") and [de Havilland Canada Otter](/wiki/De_Havilland_Canada_Otter "De Havilland Canada Otter"). Patronage at Harstad was 1,143 passengers in 1946, 2,725 the following year and 8,037 in 1959\. The latter year saw 6,139 passengers at Narvik.

The Harstad–Narvik area had been proposed as a potential location of [Bardufoss Air Station](/wiki/Bardufoss_Air_Station "Bardufoss Air Station") when it had been planned during the late 1930s. However, Bardufoss has been selected because of its favorable strategic location. About 1950 discussions started regarding construction of an airport between Bodø and Tromsø.Svendsen: 393 A survey conducted in 1951 looked into the possibilities of building an airport for Harstad at [Skånland](/wiki/Sk%C3%A5nland_Municipality "Skånland Municipality"), Rødmyra, Tennvassåsen and Kjøtta. In Narvik work started on planning an airport in Evenes, which was approved by Narvik Municipal Council in February 1951\. However, it also considered several closer locations, such as Herjangfjellet, Elvgårdsmoen, Håkvikvleira and Vidrek. The civilian sector at [Bardufoss Airport](/wiki/Bardufoss_Airport "Bardufoss Airport") opened in 1956\. It served all of [Tromsø](/wiki/Troms%C3%B8_%28city%29 "Tromsø (city)") as well as [Ofoten](/wiki/Ofoten "Ofoten"). Travel time to Bardufoss was three hours from Narvik and six hours from Harstad.

[thumb\|left\|Aerial view of the airport](/wiki/File:Evenes_IMG_4886_evenes_airport.JPG "Evenes IMG 4886 evenes airport.JPG")


How many passengers traveled on Harstad's water aerodrome routes in 1946?