The airport is located close to Barisal city in Rahamatpur area of Babuganj Upazila.

[3] Before it was re-constructed, there was a huge demand for an airport in the region, for quicker travel to the capital Dhaka.

[3] In 2007, the airport played a significant role during the relief operation in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr in November 2007, thus virtually saving thousands of lives of the cyclone-affected people.

The airport was instrumental in international relief goods, including drinking water, rice, blankets and other life-saving materials, reaching the devastated victims of the cyclone.

[3][4] In April 2015, the national carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines resumed weekly flights after nine years.