[1] On August 12, 1947, the airfield was reclassified as a national airport under the Executive Order No.
The purpose of the executive order was to accelerate the development of the civil aviation in the Philippines; it also resulted into the Bureau of Aeronautics taking control of the airport.
[2] The Philippine Air Force was allowed to use the airport in times of war and for required daily missions.
[3][4] On February 19, 1981, the first papal mass in Cebu[a] was held at the airport by Pope John Paul II.
President of the Philippines Ramon Magsaysay was killed in a crash after his aircraft took off from the airport; journalist Nestor Mata was the only person onboard who survived.