The airport was established on the former RAF Khormaksar, which opened in 1917 and closed as an RAF station in 1967. It later served as a Soviet Air Force station during the 1970s and 1980s. From 1971 until 1996 it was also the main hub of Alyemda Yemen Democratic Airlines. It is the second-largest airport in Yemen after Sana'a International Airport. The new terminal was built between 1983 and 1985, with a capacity of one million passengers a year. In 2000 the constructions at the new control tower and airport department building were completed. During the Yemeni Civil War in the Aftermath of the Houthi takeover in Yemen, the city of Aden including its airport became a battleground. The Battle of Aden Airport took place on 19 March 2015, with Houthi forces mounting an attack on the airport that was repelled by forces loyal to President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. Operations were suspended for months, owing to bombing by the Saudi Air Force in Operation Decisive Storm. On 22 July 2015, the airport was declared fit for operation again, as a Saudi plane carrying aid reportedly became the first plane to land in Aden in four months. Two days later two more Saudi planes landed carrying the equipment needed to resume operations, to enable aid to be delivered to the embattled country. On 26 November 2015, the airport re-opened briefly for civilian air traffic after being closed for 10 months, with a Yemenia flight arriving from Amman-Queen Alia international Airport in Jordan. Service for the next three months was sporadic, but at the end of February 2016 it was reported that the airport would reopen for ordinary commercial service after a few weeks of repairs. The blockade was reinstated on 21 February 2016. The blockade was lifted on 14 November 2017, when the first commercial flight has landed at Aden International Airport. Flights were cancelled once again, for four days, but resumed on 1 February 2018.
Military usage
The airport is also a Yemeni Air Force base. The base is home to the 128 Squadron Detachment. Aircraft attached to the squadron are mainly transport and attack helicopters.
On 22 February 1972, hijacked Lufthansa Flight 649, a Boeing 747-200, was diverted to the airport. Once a ransom of $5 million was paid, all 187 hostages were released on the following day.
On 19 March 1972, EgyptAir Flight 763 crashed while on approach to Aden International. All 30 passengers and crew on board were killed.
On 16 October 1977, the hijacked Lufthansa Flight 181 performed a fuel stop on its way to Mogadishu which was not allowed by the airport crew of Aden. The captain of the flight was murdered by the lead hijacker in Aden.
On 1 March 1977, Douglas C-47A 7O-ABF of Alyemda crashed into the Red Sea shortly after take-off. The aircraft was on a scheduled passenger flight. All 19 people on board were killed.
On 1 April 1992, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 637 was hijacked and landed at Aden International. The hijacker, an Ethiopian seeking asylum, released the passengers.
On 19 March 2015, more than 100 people were evacuated from a Yemenia aircraft that had been scheduled to fly to Cairo, when a battle over the airport broke out between rival elements of the Yemen Army, forcing a temporary closure. A Boeing 747 used as a presidential aircraft was also damaged by gunfire during the fighting.
