The airport is named after José María Córdova (sometimes spelled "Córdoba"), a Colombian army general who was a native of Ríonegro.

[citation needed] The airport serves all major international and some minor domestic routes for the Medellín metro area, in contrast to the in-town, yet much smaller Olaya Herrera Airport, which serves the Medellín area with domestic flights only.

[2][3][4] Antioquia's exports, mostly flowers and other products from the region, depart en route to international destinations from these terminals.

[7] During the same year, Avianca conducted test flights of its Boeing 747, first on the original runway at Olaya Herrera Airport, and then at the new José María Córdova.

In January 2006, an Airbus A380 landed at the airport to conduct technical tests of the engines.

[citation needed] In August 2019, a new highway opened, which cut the traveling time from the airport to Medellín from almost an hour to just 20 minutes.

[11] The airport underwent an expansion and renovation that enlarged the domestic terminal from 41,350 square metres (445,100 sq ft) to 50,000 square metres (540,000 sq ft) and added five new gates to it, along with three new gates for the international terminal.

[12] Other improvements included more food and shopping options, more digital displays with flight information, more car rental options, better airport connectivity with the parking lot, better airport connectivity to the parking garage, and the addition of a duty-free shop.