Its last scheduled passenger traffic was on 31 October 2011, when Aer Arann ceased commercial operations at the airport.

The airport briefly re-opened in 2015, but since then remains closed to commercial traffic, being used only by the Galway Flying Club.

[3] In 2021, plans were announced to redevelop the site as a film studio, to launch in 2022 but as of 2023, these have not proceeded, and there have been discussions about future ownership options.

Ernest Steiner, a German businessman, built his own strip opposite his factory at Carnmore.

The two airlines went into a business war, Ryanair offering cheap flights direct to London and Aer Lingus to Heathrow, Amsterdam, and Paris on selected days via Dublin.

In 1991, due to business restructuring, Ryanair withdrew their London service and Aer Lingus were soon to follow.

In 1994, Aer Arann began the Dublin route supported by the state-funded public service obligation scheme.

Sixteen destinations were served directly, Bristol, Cardiff, Cork, Dublin, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, London Luton, Lorient, Manchester, Newcastle, Belfast City, Birmingham, Southampton, Bordeaux, Faro and Málaga.

On 21 February 2007, the Government of Ireland announced that it was providing €6.3 million in capital grant money for Galway Airport.

[citation needed] Aer Arann added a service to Amsterdam in 2008 which operated via Waterford Airport but was discontinued after a short period.

The airport was being operated under licence from Galway County Council until May 2015 by Carnmore Aviation Ltd., a company owned by the Conneely Group in Ballinasloe.

[12] During the COVID-19 Pandemic the Irish Health Authorities used the Airport buildings as one of the venues for their public COVID-19 testing programme.