It is sited on the former Ahuriri Lagoon, an area that was raised above sea level by the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.

The airport is permitted to allow limited international flights for aircraft with up to fourteen people on board by prior arrangement with Air Napier or Skyline Aviation.

While work was being done to bring it up to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) standards, an alternative airfield was needed, so one was created near the shipping beacons between Westshore and Bay View.

[7] A terminal reconfiguration, along with a full-scale security fence, would be required before scheduled domestic jet services could commence.

Hawke's Bay Airport has received resource consent from the Napier City Council to begin Stage 1 of a significant multimillion-dollar business park development.