Bardufoss in Målselv municipality is home to both a civilian airport and one of Norway's most important military air stations. The airfield dates from 1938 and was the northernmost station of the Norwegian Army Air Force before World War II.
When the Germans occupied northern Norway, they took over Bardufoss and expanded it substantially. Much of the construction work was carried out by forced labourers: conscripted Norwegian civilians, political prisoners, and prisoners of war. A German POW camp, Bardufoss fangeleir, was established in March 1944 and held up to 800 prisoners at its peak. This is part of a darker chapter of the war in northern Norway that is not always well known.
During the Cold War, the airfield was further developed with NATO infrastructure funds. Bardufoss is strategically positioned for receiving allied reinforcements in a crisis, and in 2024 it became one of twelve "agreed areas" under the SDCA agreement between Norway and the United States, giving the US military unrestricted use rights to defined parts of the station. The Norwegian Air Force's flying school is based here.
Bardufoss also serves as the civilian airport for inner Troms, with daily flights to Tromsø and Oslo.
When the Germans occupied northern Norway, they took over Bardufoss and expanded it substantially. Much of the construction work was carried out by forced labourers: conscripted Norwegian civilians, political prisoners, and prisoners of war. A German POW camp, Bardufoss fangeleir, was established in March 1944 and held up to 800 prisoners at its peak. This is part of a darker chapter of the war in northern Norway that is not always well known.
During the Cold War, the airfield was further developed with NATO infrastructure funds. Bardufoss is strategically positioned for receiving allied reinforcements in a crisis, and in 2024 it became one of twelve "agreed areas" under the SDCA agreement between Norway and the United States, giving the US military unrestricted use rights to defined parts of the station. The Norwegian Air Force's flying school is based here.
Bardufoss also serves as the civilian airport for inner Troms, with daily flights to Tromsø and Oslo.