The first Kumamoto Airport opened in 1960 on the site of a former Imperial Japanese Army air base and had a 1,200 m runway.

[3] In 2013, the government passed legislation aimed at eventually allowing the sale of an operating concession at the airport.

[4] China Airlines charter service to Kaohsiung was announced in 2014 in order to cater to packaged tours from Taiwan.

[5] In March 2018, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism decided to outsource the operation to a private company from April 2020 in order to accelerate the recovery from the Kumamoto earthquakes and to promote utilization and improve services by making use of private sector know-how.

[citation needed] The operator is Kumamoto International Airport Co., Ltd., which is funded by a consortium of 11 companies led by Mitsui Fudosan.