It is located between the Caribbean coast and the Ciénaga de la Virgen marsh, in the center of Crespo, a neighborhood in northern Cartagena.

It is named after Cartagena native Rafael Núñez, the former Colombian president who wrote the verses to the National Anthem of Colombia.

KLM and Edelweiss Air have flights to Amsterdam and Zurich by way of Bogotá (the airlines do not own rights to transport passengers solely between Cartagena and Bogota).

The first flight took place on February 14, 1920, when pilot Jourdanet Jacques René Bazin flew the plane "Cartagena" around the city, carrying as passengers Guillermo Echavarria Martinez Martelo Tulita and the Queen of Carnival.

Eight days later, a mail flight was made to the city of Barranquilla, marking the beginning of commercial aviation activity in the country.

In 1980, he organized the First Symposium for the Development of the City and the concerns raised and managed the tasks for the national government to end the redevelopment of the airport.

At the end of the year before had given the new parking service for 250 private cars, 14 positions for tour buses 120 and an additional area for taxis and the access roads to the city.

The flow of passengers and number of operations did not coincide with the projections, to the detriment of the economic balance of the contract and SACSA signature was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Schiphol withdrew from the project and assumed the role of operating partner, the Spanish company AENA, which during this period had also made the concession of the airport in Barranquilla Ernesto Cortissoz.