The airport was located at an altitude of 200 meters in a valley surrounded by mountains, which hampered operations during inclement weather.

[5] The runway was extended to 3,000 meters in 2005, and the instrument landing system upgraded to handle Cat-3a fog conditions in 2007.

[5] The Tōhoku Shinkansen high-speed rail line was extended to Aomori in 2010, adding intense competition on the Aomori–Tokyo route.

The renovation included increased capacity for international customers, the addition of prayer facilities for Muslim travelers, and aesthetic updates to the appearance of the entire terminal building.

[11] On 17 July 2019, EVA Air began operating two flights per week between Aomori and Taoyuan International Airport.

The western end of the toll road lies close to Namioka Interchange (exit 53) on the cross-country Tōhoku Expressway.