The redeveloped airport opened in 2014, but for the last three years has stood almost unused, operating at 4% capacity with only LAM Mozambique Airlines flying there twice a week from Maputo.

[3][4] The airport was constructed by the Brazilian multi-national engineering and construction firm Odebrecht International, part of the Odebrecht conglomerate of companies, as part of rehabilitating the Nacala airport for commercial aviation use.

An agreement between the Mozambican and Brazilian governments was signed in April 2011 to provide funding for the airport rehabilitation as well as significant upgrades to infrastructure at the Beira Port.

Both projects were funded by the Brazilian Development Bank, as part of a US$300 million investment in Mozambique by Brazil.

[5] Three years after opening it has been noted that the airport operates only at 4% capacity,[7] serving only 20,000 passengers rather than the projected 500,000.