The construction of Pamplona Airport was approved in 1968. The following year, a 500 metres (1,600 ft) runway was inaugurated, with a light aircraft from the Real Aeroclub de Navarra (Royal Aero Club of Navarre) being the first to use it on 3 October 1969. The official opening was the following day, 4 October 1969. Shortly afterward, the runway was doubled in length to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) and 45 metres (148 ft) wide. Two years later, it was extended again, this time to 1,750 metres (5,740 ft). On 6 July 1972, the airport was opened to regular passenger traffic, with the inauguration taking place with an Fokker F27-100 from Aviaco that covered the route between Madrid and Pamplona. The airport's first passenger terminal opened on 6 July 1973. During the 1970s, the track was widened again to 2,200 metres (7,200 ft). The new terminal and control tower of the airport were opened on 24 November 2010. The old terminal and old control tower sit right next to the new terminal and have various uses at the moment. Between 2017 and beginning of 2020 Lufthansa flew between Pamplona and Frankfurt daily, but the service was discontinued in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.