Plans for expanding the terminal facilities were first articulated by the Civil Airport Administration in the 1990s. The upgrade was given priority in a 2000 plan, but was shortly after placed on hold in favor of upgrades of Kirkenes Airport and Svalbard Airport, Longyear. By 2005 the Civil Aviation Authority announced that the aircraft parking areas at Alta were too close to the runway and that the airport would lose its certification in 2008 unless it was upgraded. Another concern was the lack of capacity, as the airport could only handle 150 passengers simultaneously at two gates.