[5] The airport was opened on 26 July 1935 as Woolsington Aerodrome by the Secretary of State for Air, Sir Phillip Cunliffe-Lister.

[8][9] In 1940, the airfield was occasionally used to operate detachments of Supermarine Spitfire fighters from RAF Acklington-based 72 Squadron.

83 Maintenance Unit RAF, tasked with recovering crashed aircraft and salvaging any usable parts, was formed at Woolsington, remaining operational until April 1946.

The airfield was also used as a base for the single Tiger Moth of the Durham University Air Squadron from February 1941, and from 1942 to 1943 by detachments from No.

278 Squadron RAF, operating Westland Lysander and Supermarine Walrus in the air sea rescue role.

The refurbishment included a 3,000 square metre extension with new shops, cafes and 1,200 new seats for waiting passengers.

Also in 2007, now defunct carrier Flyglobespan shortly connected Newcastle with Hamilton, Ontario, through this serving the greater Toronto area.

[18] On 23 May 2015, United Airlines commenced its summer seasonal route from Newcastle to New York-Newark, which was a huge achievement for the airport and the region.

[21] This £20m improvement plan included a new radar system alongside digital signage in the check-in areas and the installation of new flooring.

The £3m plan includes an extension to the terminal by 4,800 sq ft (450 m2) and will increase the equipment in the security hall, bringing in improved technology to speed up procedures there.

[27] In April 2023, TUI announced its biggest ever programme at the airport for summer 2024, operating up to 84 weekly flights to a total of 31 destinations on offer using an additional fifth aircraft, including new routes to Sal, Cape Verde and Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

[citation needed] Destinations that have seen increases in the number of flights include Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Alicante.

The area also holds maintenance workshops for the airport and various other depots for airport-run services like Alpha Catering.

[74] On 30 November 2000, a Piper Aerostar registered N64719 en route to Iceland from Newcastle International Airport, crashed close to Fortingall, on the north side of Loch Tay in Perthshire, Scotland, killing the single crewmember.

The accident report concluded that the aircraft gradually lost airspeed during an icing encounter, before stalling and the pilot losing control.

A half-hourly bus service links the airport to the nearby villages of Ponteland and Darras Hall, as well as to the City Centre.