Dumatubun Airport, the former principal airport of the Kai Islands, which had been in operation since the Japanese occupation during World War II, was deemed no longer viable for continued use, primarily because its 1,300-metre runway could not be extended. Due to its short runway, Dumatubun Airport can only accommodate smaller aircraft such as the CASA C-212 Aviocar, Fokker 27, and ATR 42. Furthermore, the airport is located in the middle of Langgur’s town center and is surrounded by residential areas, limiting any further expansion. Consequently, the construction of a new, larger airport was proposed. Construction of the new airport began in 2006 on a 5,000 m × 2,000 m site spanning two villages, Ibra and Sathean, located approximately 15 km from Dumatubun Airport. After significant delays—mainly due to land clearing issues, particularly disputes over compensation with landowners—the airport was completed in 2013. The inauguration and commencement of operations at the airport were postponed multiple times due to unresolved land ownership disputes with local residents, to the extent that landowners and residents blocked access to the airport, claiming that the local government had not fully paid the compensation agreed upon in the original agreement.

The airport began operations on 24 February 2014, marked by the first landing of a Trigana Air aircraft. It was finally inaugurated by the then Minister of Transportation, Ignasius Jonan, on 19 December 2014. The inauguration was held simultaneously with the opening of 20 ports and 10 airports across Indonesia. Following the opening of the new airport, all flights to and from Dumatubun Airport were transferred there, with Dumatubun subsequently serving primarily as an Indonesian Air Force base.

In 2016, an Indonesian Air Force Boeing 737-200 landed at the airport as part of testing to verify its capability to handle such aircraft, marking the first time a Boeing 737 had landed at the airport. The following year, Sriwijaya Air became the first airline to operate a Boeing 737 on a commercial flight to the airport, using a Boeing 737-500 as part of the launch of the Langgur–Makassar route. In 2022, Lion Air launched the Langgur–Ambon route using a Boeing 737-800.