It was built by the Karnataka State Public Works Department (PWD) with technical assistance from RITES Limited[4] and is operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

[5] The ₹120 crore greenfield project was initially scheduled be built under Public–private partnership (PPP) with the government of Karnataka (GoK).

[6] On 15 November 2007, the government of Karnataka awarded the Gulbarga Airport project to a consortium of Maytas Infra Ltd. (Now IL&FS Engineering and Construction Company Limited),[7] NCC Infrastructure Holdings Ltd. (NCC) and VIE India Project Development and Holding on a Build–operate–transfer (BOT) basis.

[8] and the foundation stone for Phase I of the project was laid by former Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri B. S. Yediyurappa on 14 June 2008.

[11] The state government terminated the contract in January 2015 for not complying with the Project Development Agreement (PDA), which required the completion of construction work by May 2012.