[11] Immediately prior to its redevelopment in the 2010s, the airport site was an essentially abandoned and nonfunctional airfield with an unpaved runway.

[12]: 24 A report published in 2014 by the authority overseeing the development of a special economic zone in Oecusse recommended the complete overhaul of the airfield.

[12] The work on the project included the construction or installation of landside and airside facilities such as an air traffic control (ATC) tower, a terminal building, quarantine facilities, a fuel depot, distance measuring equipment (DME), a VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) system, a taxiway and apron, airfield lighting (AFL), and other airport equipment.

Also present at the inauguration ceremony were the president of the Oecusse Special Administrative Region, Mari Alkatiri; the governor of the Indonesian province of Nusa Tenggara Timur, Viktor Laiskodat; and others.

[20] In April 2023, the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) announced that it would fund a feasibility study into establishing a scheduled passenger airline to service the Oecusse exclave.

[22][23] The airport complies with the applicable ICAO and IATA international standards in terms of safety, security and comfort of usage.