The airport is a base for Allegiant Air and JetBlue – as well as for Spirit Airlines, which has its corporate headquarters located in nearby Miramar.

The airport is classified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a "major hub" facility serving commercial air traffic.

[5] World War I aviator Merle Fogg purchased an abandoned nine-hole golf course that was destroyed in the 1926 Miami hurricane for $1,200 in 1928.

At the start of World War II, it was commissioned by the United States Navy and renamed Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale.

The base was initially used for refitting civil airliners for military service before they were ferried across the Atlantic to Europe and North Africa.

NAS Fort Lauderdale was the home base for Flight 19, the five TBM Avengers that disappeared in December 1945, leading in part to the notoriety of the Bermuda Triangle.

US Airways also planned a hub at Fort Lauderdale in the mid-2000s as part of its reorganization strategy before its merger with America West Airlines.

[11] In January 2000, South African Airways (SAA) introduced service from Cape Town to Atlanta via Fort Lauderdale on a Boeing 747.

By 2017, Norwegian had established a crew base at the airport and added flights to three more cities in Europe, as well as seasonal service to two Caribbean destinations.

While major airlines tended to prefer flying into Miami, Emirates chose Fort Lauderdale as its gateway to South Florida because of its codeshare agreement with JetBlue and the airport's central location in the region.

[25][26][27] In 2018, NORAD announced that it would be stationing fighter jets at the airport during President Donald Trump's trips to Mar-a-Lago.

[28] By 2018, the airport had started going through an extensive renovation and expansion project worth approximately $3 billion, adding gates, new parking, stores, and shops.

The master plan calls for the construction of an Intermodal center, a people mover, a hotel, an increase in the number of gates from 62 to 95, and widening of the terminal access road.

[30] In the same year, Norwegian decided to discontinue all of its flights to the United States, leaving the airport without transatlantic service.

It transitioned to year-round service in April 2024 despite the ongoing Israel–Hamas war and an Iranian attack on Israel two days prior.

After Miami, Fort Lauderdale was El Al's second destination in South Florida, which has a large Jewish population.

[34][35] In October 2023, one month following El Al's commencement of service at the airport, officials broke ground on FLL's new Terminal 5, which is expected to be completed by mid-2026.

[29][43][45][46] An elevated light rail line linking the airport, the Broward County Convention Center, and Port Everglades is also proposed.

New concessions, seatings, and approximately 50,000 sq ft (4,600 m2) of administrative offices for the Aviation Department are being designed on the upper levels of the facility.

[37][38] The $404 million, 230,000-square-foot facility will feature five new domestic gates, check-in and baggage areas, security screening, and a variety of retail and food services.

[64] Internationally known artist and sculptor Duane Hanson created an installation for his work Vendor with Walkman at the Departure Level of Terminal 3 at the airport.

Hanson, who retired and died in nearby Boca Raton, created a seated middle-aged man wearing a red T-shirt, blue pants, and baseball cap, and listening to a walkman during a break.

The installation accessories give additional clues to the narrative of the artwork: toy airplane, various signs, and announcements for the shop, janitorial supplies.