Colonial era

Prior to the development of the current airport, Semarang was already served by a commercial airfield in Simongan. Simongan Airfield was among the earliest airfields in the Dutch East Indies to handle commercial flights and was equipped with two runways. In November 1928, the Dutch East Indies flag carrier, Koninklijke Nederlandsch-Indische Luchtvaart Maatschappij (KNILM), inaugurated flights from the airfield to Tjililitan Airfield (now Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport) in Batavia. At that time, the airfield was capable of accommodating aircraft such as the Fokker F.VII. For reasons that remain unclear, the airfield was eventually closed in 1935, prompting the colonial government to construct a new facility as its replacement. Today, the former site of Simongan Airfield is occupied by the Semarang Islamic Center, while the former runway area has been converted into residential housing. Only a few remnants of the airfield survive, including the former administration building and a water tank.

Ahmad Yani International Airport traces its origins to an airfield opened by the Dutch East Indies government in March 1938, then known as Kalibanteng Airfield. At the time, the airfield was capable of accommodating aircraft such as the Douglas DC-2 and Douglas DC-3. KNILM soon began operations at the new airfield, launching daily flights connecting Semarang with Surabaya and Batavia.

When the Japanese invaded the Dutch East Indies in 1942 during the Pacific War, Kalibanteng Airfield was defended by British forces. Japanese troops landed at Eretan Wetan in Indramayu on 28 February 1942 and advanced toward Semarang with the objective of seizing the airfield. By the following day, they had reached the city and captured the airfield, overwhelming most of the British defenders, including anti-aircraft units and armed ground personnel. During the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, Kalibanteng Airfield was used as a Japanese military base to support operations against Allied forces. The airfield was also upgraded, including the extension of its runway, using captured Allied prisoners of war—primarily Dutch and British—who were subjected to harsh and inhumane treatment by their captors.

Following the Surrender of Japan, the airfield was handed over on 20 October 1945 to the Gurkhas of the 37th Brigade of the British Army. The airfield was attacked by Indonesian guerrillas during the Battle of Ambarawa in the opening phase of the Indonesian National Revolution, in an effort to prevent British forces from launching attacks against Indonesian positions in Ambarawa. The assault succeeded in rendering the airfield temporarily inoperative. However, this did not significantly disrupt Royal Air Force (RAF) close air support operations. One aircraft was hit by ground fire and subsequently crash-landed in the nearby Lake Rawa Pening. On 17 May 1946, the British withdrew and control was transferred to the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) in a ceremony. For the remainder of the war, the airfield served as a major Dutch base and was frequently targeted by Indonesian guerrillas. On 5 August 1946, a significant Indonesian attack damaged one Dutch Douglas DC-3 Dakota and destroyed two others. The guerrillas subsequently launched a major offensive to capture the airfield, managing to besiege it. They bombarded the facility with cannon and mortar fire, causing extensive damage; hangars and officers’ quarters were destroyed, and another Dakota transport aircraft was damaged. However, the attackers were eventually repelled by Dutch forces deploying tanks and aircraft in a counteroffensive.

The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force (ML-KNIL) maintained a presence at the airfield throughout the war, using it as a launching base for operations against Indonesian forces. During preparations for Operation Kraai, ML-KNIL aircraft were assembled at the airfield, consisting of 20 C-47s, a Lockheed L-12, 10 Spitfires, three B-25s, two SB-25s, and four Austers, which were to be used in the attack on the Indonesian stronghold at Yogyakarta.

Independence era

Following Dutch recognition of Indonesia’s sovereignty, the airfield was handed over to the Indonesian Army, and Dutch forces withdrew. In 1957, a major upgrade project was launched to improve the runway and other airfield facilities. The works were completed in approximately four and a half months at a cost of around 1,150,000 rupiahs. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, the airfield remained a military airbase of the Indonesian Army Aviation Center (Penerbad) and was closed to commercial flights. It was only opened for commercial operations following a joint decree issued by the Air Force Chief of Staff, the Minister of Transport, and the Army Chief of Staff on 31 August 1966.