RAF Cranfield was built by John Laing & Son on 100 acres (0.40 km2) of farmland acquired by the Air Ministry in 1935 as Britain re-armed to face the growing threats on the continent.

[citation needed] Aircraftsman Vivian Hollowday, serving at the airfield, won the George Cross for the attempted rescue of two crews which crashed there in July and August 1940.

One of the Met Office research aircraft (a BAE 146), operated under the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements, is usually based on the airfield.

Situated 3 mi (4.8 km) to the northeast of the M1 motorway and Milton Keynes, the airfield has a large catchment area.

[29] In April 2018, it was reported that Central Bedfordshire Council had granted planning permission for a new 'Air Park', expected to be completed in 2024.

[31] That announcement said that the Group would be deciding between three potential airfields for its continuing operations: Duxford and Wyton in Cambridgeshire, and Cranfield Airport in Bedfordshire.

[32] In October 2021, the Group announced that it had decided in favour of the Cranfield option and that "it will leave its current base at Cambridge Airport by 2030".