The War Assets Administration deeded the facility to the city of Gainesville in 1948 as a civil airport.

Air Florida served Gainesville in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with flights to Miami, Tampa and Ocala.

On October 31, 2004 Gainesville Regional Airport hosted Air Force One[11] during George W. Bush's re-election campaign.

[12][13] They hosted Air Force Two in 2023 after Hurricane Idalia[14] In recent years the Airport has substantially completed several projects: the refurbishment of its primary runway (11/29), piping of an open ditch parallel to that runway, and completion of two phases of the Terminal Renovation project.

However, in 2023, Silver Airways announced they would return to Gainesville with service to Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport.

The garage will also house new ride-sharing pickup points and bus service, and is expected to open by late 2025.

[1] In the year ending September 30, 2022 the airport had 68,032 aircraft operations, average 186 per day: 78% general aviation, 6% air taxi, 7% military and 9% airline.

[1] Gainesville Regional Airport has one full service FBO, University Air Center.

Flight Line's contract with the airport authority expired and Gulf Atlantic became University Air Center.

University Air Center has a pilots lounge with TV, snack machines, aircraft rentals and charters, flight instruction, and fuel.