It is named for Ian Fleming, the creator of the James Bond novels, whose Goldeneye estate is located in St. Mary parish.

[citation needed] The new airport welcomed its first international flight on 7 May 2010 (eight months prior to its official opening) when a single-engine Pilatus PC-12 turboprop flew in from the Bahamas with singer-songwriter and businessman Jimmy Buffett, of "Margaritaville" fame,[9] being the first international passenger to be processed by customs and immigration officers at the facility.

[10][11] The renaming of the airport was controversial, with some locals feeling that a prominent Jamaican should have been honoured in preference to the British Ian Fleming.

He explained that Ian Fleming gave Jamaica "an image much larger than it would otherwise have had", and that this was the place where the creativity emerged that enabled him to write 13 James Bond novels, and to become one of the world's most famous authors.

[14] However, the route was postponed until further notice due to American's request that additional Air Navigation Aids be provided at the airport.