This airport was founded in 1935 as Tabung Point Airfield, an emergency landing strip in the municipality of Buruanga, then-located in the province of Capiz.

[7] In addition, during bad weather, flights are diverted to Kalibo International Airport, 68 kilometers (42 mi) from Caticlan.

[7] The ₱2.5 billion expansion of the airport would entail two stages: the construction of a new ₱2.1-billion passenger terminal in the first stage, and the extension of the existing runway from 950 meters (3,120 ft) to 2,100 meters (6,900 ft) as well as upgrading airport equipment and the existing apron, which would cost ₱360 million.

[7] The upgrading works would enable the airport not only to support jet aircraft but also to serve international destinations.

Solicited as a Build-Operate-Transfer project and financed by a 70-30 mixture of bank loan and private sector equity,[7] around 25 percent of the allocated funds would be used to clear a hill near the airport's proximity, while an additional 18 percent would be allocated for land reclamation to accommodate an extended runway.

[10] In January 2010, Boracay Foundation Inc. opposed the project due to the negative environmental effects of leveling a hill near the airport.

[21] During night flights, propeller-driven aircraft were utilized: Cebu Pacific uses ATR 72 while PAL uses the De-Havilland Q-400’s.

[23] Right-of-way issues delayed the terminal's construction, missing its initial completion target of 2018.

[23] Once completed in 2026, the new terminal would accommodate seven million passengers annually and have eight jet bridges which protrude above a twelve-bay apron[23] for Airbus A320 family aircraft.