[citation needed] The airport is officially named after Antonio Papola, in memory of the Italian aviator who died on 13 February 1948 in an air accident who had a special bond with the city.

[citation needed] As of 2008, it has officially changed its legal status into civilian airport, still maintaining operational the military facilities attached to it.

[citation needed] The strategic position of the airport in the Mediterranean region, along with its multi-modal connections with the highway and the port a few kilometers away, have made it a base of crucial importance for both national defense and NATO.

It has since then been managed by the World Food Programme and officially known as the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD).

On behalf of governments, other UN agencies and NGOs, from UNHRD Brindisi humanitarian aid is directed to the most remote and devastated regions around the world.