The airport accommodates charters including business jets through to the larger Airbus A320 aircraft.

Following the major upgrades of the airport, Freedom Air started regular international flights to Brisbane and Sydney in 1996.

[10] Jetstar Airways commenced daily services between Palmerston North and Auckland on 1 February 2016.

[12] In 2016 due to an increase in need for overnight mail, Freightways upgraded their New Zealand domestic freight fleet from the ageing Convair 580s and 5800s to the bigger and faster Boeing 737-400Fs under the new company name of Parcelair.

[13] In 2018 Palmerston North Airport contracted Higgins to reconstruct taxiway bravo and charlie.

[14] On 17 May 1998, ten people towed a fully fuelled Freedom Air Boeing 737-300 over 100 metres in 47 seconds, to celebrate the opening of the new runway extensions.

[citation needed] On 9 June 1995, Ansett New Zealand Flight 703, a de Havilland Canada Dash 8 crashed into the Tararua Ranges, 16 km east of the airport, killing four out of the 21 people on board.