A military restructuring plan announced in July 2008 was to close BA 128 in 2011, and place it in reserve status (Base Interarmes).

In the early 20th century, the German army began building a Zeppelin field to the south-west of the city, at the present site of the airfield.

[2] At the outbreak of World War II on 3 September 1939, the CAG 506 and GR II/22 (flying Bloch MB.131 reconnaissance-bombers and Potez 630 heavy twin-engined fighters) were present at Frescaty.

[3] In 1943, a dive bomber school, Schlachtgeschwader 103 (SG 103) was established at the base, training pilots with Arado Ar 96 advanced trainers; Focke-Wulf Fw 190Fs, and Junkers Ju 87s.

In June, day interceptor fighters of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3) moved in with Messerschmitt Bf 109Gs to attack American Eighth Air Force heavy bombers.

In July, Kampfgeschwader 101 (KG 101) arrived as part of the Mistel (German: Mistletoe), project, in which Junkers Ju 88A, bombers were controlled by a Messerschmitt Bf 109E, which was flown to the target by the fighter, then separated and guided, with a shaped 1,800 kg charge at the nose of the aircraft, and used as unmanned powered bomb.

[3] These activities led to Frescaty being attacked by USAAF Ninth Air Force Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombers and Republic P-47 Thunderbolts mostly with 500-pound General-Purpose bombs; unguided rockets and .50 caliber machine gun sweeps when Eighth Air Force heavy bombers (Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, Consolidated B-24 Liberators) were within interception range of the Luftwaffe aircraft assigned to the base.

Due to the heavy fighting in the area and extensive damage from the Allied bombing attacks on the base, much restoration work was necessary.

A new 5000' Pierced Steel Planking metal runway was laid down aligned 02/20 for aircraft use, and after nearly a month the airfield was declared operationally ready on 25 December 1944 as Advanced Landing Ground "Y-34 Metz".

In 1950, when as a result of the Cold War threat of the Soviet Union, Metz-Frescaty was proposed by the United States Air Force to become an interim NATO fighter base, until other airfields could be constructed.

In the ongoing negotiations, the site was ultimately rejected, and reconstruction of the base continued for French Air Force requirements.