[2] It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2025–2029.

Midwest Airlines grew out of Kimberly-Clark subsidiary K-C Aviation, which was sold in 1998 to Gulfstream Aerospace,[11][12] which retains a major facility at the airport, focusing on maintenance, interior completions, and exterior painting for the company's G600, G650, and G700 products.

The airport attracts people heading back and forth between the EAA's AirVenture, Air Academy and other programs in nearby Oshkosh.

In the 1920s, Appleton's airport was George A. Whiting Field,[16] three miles (5 km) south of town.

[citation needed] Construction of the current facility began in 1963; the field was dedicated on August 22, 1965, along with Air Wisconsin, which started operations out of the airport the next day.

[26][27] The Appleton Flight Center Terminal, which was constructed in 2013, is a LEED-certified facility and features zero VOC finishes, a roof-mounted 26 kW photovoltaic system, a ground source heat pump, in-floor radiant conditioning, and a rainwater collection system.

[31] On August 10, 2021, Allegiant Air announced that they would base Airbus A320 aircraft at the airport beginning March 2, 2022.

The project will add four additional gates designed to handle Embraer E-Jet, Boeing 737, or Airbus A320 family aircraft.

[33] The check-in/ticketing hall and passenger loading areas will also be expanded as well as the addition of a new international arrivals building will occur in later phases.

[39] The airport added a new ground-level seven-gate concourse in 2000 and renovated the existing passenger terminal, which was designed by architect Paul W. Powers.

The airport's main entrance at CTH CA features a complete reproduction of the Apollo 11 statue located in the Moon Tree Garden of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Gates 1 and 2 are not frequently used due to their close proximity to the main terminal building and the resulting difficulty maneuvering aircraft in those tight spaces.

Vehicle for hire companies including Uber, Lyft, and taxicabs are allowed to pick up and drop off passengers on airport property.

[45] The airport has an FBO, Appleton Flight Center, which offers AvGas and jet fuel, as well as a number of other resources such as a crew car and WiFi.

[52] For the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2022, the airport had 49,384 aircraft operations, an average of 135 per day: 65% general aviation, 20% air taxi, 15% commercial airline and less than 1% military.