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.