In the 1940's, the demand for more scheduled air service was ever increasing in the Southern Tier of New York. This region was served satisfactorily for many years by the Tri-Cities Airport located in Endicott, but it was quickly being realized that this airport was becoming too restrictive for future commercial aviation needs. By 1944, the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA), which is now called the Federal Aviation Administration, ruled that the existing Tri-Cities Airport would not be approved for any other commercial operation except clear, daytime flights due to location and terrain.

In May of 1944, Dr. Frank Moore, a former chairman of the Tri-Cities Airport, applied to the CAA for guidance in building a new airport. Within a month, the CAA had engineers in Broome County surveying for a new location. Many surveys and studies later, by Sept. 9th, 1944, the findings suggested that Mt. Ettrick in Johnson City was the best location. However, the demands of World War II pre-empted any immediate start on a new airport that until then had been receiving great community support.

Later, a committee made up of local business leaders including George W. Johnson and Thomas Watson was formed, and they selected Dr. Moore to acquire the property needed for the new facility. In 1945, the site was surveyed again and actual construction work began. During this construction project, two F-86 fighter jets made an emergency landing on the unfinished, unlit runway when they ran out of fuel on a routine training mission. The project wasn't completed yet, but the airport was credited with saving the lives of the military pilots.

The new airport was officially dedicated on Sunday, May 27th, 1951. On this date at 8:48 AM, Robinson Airlines Flight 20, flown with a DC-3, departed the new airport for Utica, New York. Formal dedication events took place on May 30, 1951 that included participation by Alben W. Barkley, who was Vice President of the United States at the time.

Since its opening, the airport has had several expansion projects, including a runway expansion (the North-South runway is currently 7,500' long) complete in 1988, an apron expansion to accommodate more corporate aircraft, and most recently a major upgrade to the passenger terminal building.

The airport will continue to be improved to make air travel safe, convenient and enjoyable for our traveling public.