Plans for an airport with short take-off and landing flights was launched by the government in December 1983. The airport was proposed along with five other regionals airport: Fagernes Airport, Leirin; Førde Airport, Bringeland; Mosjøen Airport, Kjærstad; Røst Airport and Værøy Airport. The plans were passed by Parliament on 10 April 1984. Grants for starting construction were issued on the 1985 state budget and operating permission was issued by the government on 6 September 1985. The financing was split between the state (60 percent), Vikna Municipality (30 percent) and Nord-Trøndelag County Municipality (10 percent). The municipal funding was financed through a loan in Kommunalbanken. Most of the state funding was granted on the 1986 state budget, along with three other airports. The original target was for 12,000 passengers per year.

The airport was estimated to cost 15 to 16 million kr, but the lowest tender was between 10 and 11 million kr. The airport ended having severe cost overruns—NOK 12 million combined with Førde Airport. Ryum was scheduled to be opened on 1 October 1986, but there was too bad weather that day that the ceremonies could take place, as aircraft could not land. Rørvik was initially served by Norving, which flew two services with the Dornier 228: Bodø–Rørvik–Namsos–Trondheim and Rørvik–Brønnøysund Monday through Friday. During the first winter several shortcomings were found in the terminal building and temperatures down to −6 °C (21 °F) were measured indoors.

Norving announced on 10 December 1987 that they would terminate all operations outside Finnmark. This took effect on 8 January 1988, leaving Rørvik without a scheduled services. Manning of the airport was reduced from eight to six, but the airport remained open from 08 to 23. From the summer schedules of 1988, Rørvik was included in Widerøe's services along the Helgeland coast. The airport had 7,244 passengers in 1988, and the combined subsidies per passengers was 511 kr. This included 1.3 million kr in state operating subsidies to the airport, in addition to an operating deficit of 1 million kr covered by the municipality.

From 1996, Ryum and 25 other regional airports were taken over by the state and the Civil Aviation Administration (later renamed Avinor). The airport had 17,000 passengers in 1999. Four years after the nationalization, the CAA proposed that Ryum and certain other regional airport be closed in an effort to reduce costs, but this was disapproved by the government. The airport received a renewed certification by the Civil Aviation Authority in 2001, which in addition to new runway lighting required the airport to have a rescue boat. The ministry started a process in 2001 to consider using smaller aircraft than the 37-seat Dash 8 aircraft. The reason was that there were on average only 17 passengers per flight from Rørvik and Namsos Airport, Høknesøra combined. Airport security was introduced on 1 January 2005. Since 2010, Nord-Trøndelag County Municipality has been pressing for an extension of the runway to 1,199 meters (3,934 ft) and construction of a larger hangar.