However, the military airbase at RAF Mount Pleasant, located to the west of Stanley, functions as the islands' main international airport, because it has a long runway capable of handling wide-body aircraft, and allows civilian flights by prior permission from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).

However, in the early 1970s, the Falkland Islands Company decided to withdraw its monthly supply ship to Montevideo, Uruguay, increasing the desirability of an air-link to the South American mainland.

In 1971, the Argentine Air Force broke the islands' isolation, starting with amphibious flights from Comodoro Rivadavia with Grumman HU-16B Albatross aircraft operated by LADE.

At first, these flights landed at a temporary airstrip at Hookers Point at the east end of Port Stanley, where the runway was constructed of Marston Mat (also known as pierced steel planking or PSP).

The Argentine Air Force were unable to station their most advanced fighter jets at the base, given the relatively short runway, and the risk of attack by the British.

On 1 May 1982, the Royal Air Force (RAF) bombed the airport in Operation Black Buck, and several additional raids were carried out by embarked Sea Harriers.

The forty-two 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms) bombs dropped by the two Black Buck missions left twin strings of craters which are still visible on satellite photos of the airport today.

However, these minefields proved unnecessary when the British opted instead to land at San Carlos on the west coast of East Falkland, and attack overland towards Stanley.

The runway was extended by to 6,100 feet (1,900 metres), paved with aluminium planking, and had arrester equipment installed to allow RAF F-4M Phantom fighters, initially some of those of No.

[2] Although flights from Chile by regional airline Aerovias DAP did use the airport in the early 1990s, for the most part, external services have used RAF Mount Pleasant since it opened.