This division reflects the geographical and administrative location of the district, but there are also other small islands that are outside these two main clusters and are not always included in the grouping.

[11] Administratively, this area is divided into 17 districts (kecamatan) which function to facilitate management and services for the local community and support the development of the potential of the region which is rich in natural resources and tourism.

[8] Some 80% of its inhabitants are of Malay origin, numerous being descended from Terengganuan, Johorean, and Pattanian descent as results of contact established since 1597.

[18] The discovery of the Natuna Islands by I-Tsing (or Yijing) has been disputed by some historians, who point to errors in interpreting his historical records.

Many historians argue that I-Tsing only referred to the South Sea region in general, specifically Srivijaya (now Sumatra), as a center of Buddhist learning.

[19][20] Most claims that I-Tsing discovered or mentioned Natuna come from misinterpretations of maps and documents related to the voyages of Chinese sailors such as Zheng He who came several centuries later.

In his notes, I-Tsing emphasized his journey to India and his life in Srivijaya rather than exploring the sailing routes to specific islands.

[26] The Riau-Lingga Sultanate, established in 1718 after the Johor Sultanate collapsed due to Portuguese attacks and internal conflicts, controlled a vast territory, including the islands around the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea, including the Natuna Islands.

[28] The influence of this kingdom was clearly visible in the political and economic management of the region, including in regulating shipping routes between the Malay Peninsula and the coastal areas of Sumatra and Borneo.

The Natuna people, who were mostly of Malay ethnicity, had close ties with this kingdom in the social, cultural, and economic fields.

In addition, the Riau-Lingga Sultanate also protected its territories from external threats, such as colonization by European powers, especially the Netherlands.

[31] After the end of the Riau-Lingga Sultanate and the Dutch colonial influence in the region, the Natuna Islands remained an important part of Indonesia's maritime history.

In the early 19th century, the Dutch further expanded their colonial power in the Indonesian archipelago, including the Natuna Islands.

[35][36] However, due to its remote location and inaccessibility, the Dutch initially did not supervise the Natuna Islands directly.

Therefore, Japan built several military bases on these islands as part of their defense plan in the Southeast Asia region.

[42] After Japan surrendered in 1945, Indonesia proclaimed independence, but Natuna still had to face a complicated transition period as colonial rule ended.

However, due to its strategic position and location on the border of the South China Sea, the Indonesian government then decided to move the Natuna administration to Riau Province in 1957.

Natuna has large reserves of natural gas (estimated at 1.3 billion m3) that is exported to neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia.

Indonesia responded with a formal diplomatic protest to Beijing[71] and then deployed to the region a further 600 troops and eight navy warships, along with aerial support.

The naval presence included Ahmad Yani-class frigates, Bung Tomo-class corvettes, and Kapitan Pattimura-class ASW corvettes, while aerial support came from Naval aviation CN-235 MPA aircraft, four Indonesian Air Force F-16s and a Boeing 737-2x9, with BAE Hawk aircraft nearby on alert.

A visit to the area by President Joko Widodo in early January 2020 reinforced Indonesia's resolve not to tolerate such incursions.

However, economic development in Natuna Regency faces challenges in infrastructure and inter-island connectivity as well as accessibility to other regions, which are still limited and affect the distribution of goods and public services.

In addition, to reduce dependence on natural resources and maintain long-term economic stability, diversification efforts into more sustainable sectors are needed.

Other facilities inside the airport are the Aviation Accidents Rescue and Fire Fighting building, a generator and the pump house.