History of civil aviation in Podgorica begins on 29 May 1928, with landing of Aeroput Potez 29/2 biplane on a grass runway located in Ćemovsko polje.

This flight was a second leg of an experimental circular route, originating and terminating in Belgrade, flown via Skopje, Podgorica, Mostar Airport and Sarajevo, with the aim of exploring viability of regular air travel in southern Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

During World War II, Podgorica airfield was used by the occupying Axis powers, making it a target for devastating Allied bombings in 1943 and 1944.

Due to proximity of Podgorica Airbase facilities, passenger terminal of the airport sustained minor damage during NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999.

A single-level building with 5,500 m2 (59,000 sq ft) floor area features Passengers usually walk between the gate and the aircraft, while airport busses are used mainly during summer peak traffic or heavy rainfall.

As Montenegro Air Force does not operate fixed wing aircraft, entire Šipčanik complex was decommissioned and converted to civilian use in early 2000s.

Construction of Sozina tunnel in 2006 and Southern Podgorica Bypass in 2021 has significantly shortened travel times between the airport and Montenegro coastal region.

However, it is usually not a convenient option for transfer to central Podgorica, due to 1.2 kilometers (0.75 mi) distance from the passenger terminal, and irregular train schedule.