The airstrip was used as a military base until 1991 by the Ba'ath Party regime as a result of United Nations Security Council establishing a no-fly zone over northern Iraq.

The old Erbil airport covered 7,000 m2 (75,000 sq ft), and was divided into departure and arrival halls.

The warehouse offered cargo space amounting to 4,320 m2 (46,500 sq ft) and consisted of an import and an export section.

[7] In 2010, Erbil International Airport had the least expensive aviation fuel in Iraq (at 83 US cents per litre).

[8] From 29 September 2017 until 14 March 2018, following the failed 2017 Kurdistan Region independence referendum, all commercial international flights were suspended.

[13] On 11 September, two drones carrying explosives failed to reach the airport; one was shot down by C-RAM air defense and the other one crashed.