The airport is the only designated port of entry for persons arriving and departing by air in Barbados and operates as one of the major gateways to the Eastern Caribbean.

Grantley Adams International Airport lies 12.9 km (8.0 mi) from the centre of the capital city Bridgetown, in an area officially known as Seawell.

The airport lies in the south-eastern portion of parish of Christ Church, close to the southern tip of the island.

The airport has undergone a multi-phase US$100 million upgrade and expansion by the government, which added a new arrivals hall adjacent to the prior arrivals/departures terminals.

Then Prime Minister Tom Adams, the son of the airport's eponym, offered use of the facility to the U.S. military as a forward staging and support area for the diverse American aircraft which were deployed from the mainland in Operation Urgent Fury.

[13] The airport also became a press center for more than 300 international journalist who had been dispatched by their organizations to report on the surprise multi-national intervention into the neighbouring island of Grenada.

[14] As part of the plan to maintain for lasting stability in Grenada, the United States assisted in the establishment of the Regional Security System (RSS) at the eastern Grantley Adams flight-range.

The airport was one of a handful of destinations where British Airways' Concorde aircraft made regularly scheduled flights (and got repairs).

It envisions the addition of new airport terminal Jetway (gates), new spacious departure lounges much closer to the aeroplanes and air bridges to make connections much easier.

Grantley Adams International Airport has two terminal buildings designed to appear as one single continuous structure.

The former layout was divided in two with a few duty-free shops[24] and an open-air area in the middle with trees and other greenery which was open to both halves of the terminal.

[4] The airport has a single east-westerly runway, connected by six taxiway intersections with the aircraft parking area which is adjacent to the main terminals.

As a result of the tradewinds that blow from the Atlantic Ocean across Barbados from the east, planes usually land and take-off in an easterly direction.

During some weather disturbances, such as passing hurricanes or tropical systems, planes may take off or land in a westerly direction such as on 29 August 2010.

[28] Besides the arrivals and departures terminals, Grantley Adams International Airport included provisions for a new cargo building in the 2000–06 expansion project.

On 2 November 1977 G-BOAE was the same aircraft that Queen Elizabeth II traveled flying from GAIA to London Heathrow, England.