Originally named the Montego Bay Airport, a decision was made to build the runway in 1940, and the actual construction of the facility was completed on 18 February 1947.

At the time of its completion, the town of Montego Bay was more like a playground for the rich and famous, and was then considered one of the premier vacation spots within the Caribbean, just as it is today.

The original terminal was built and opened on 7 July 1959, with a capacity to accommodate 500 passengers per hour, and parking for seven aircraft at a time.

The new eastern concourse of the Sangster International Airport (SIA) (the result of phases 1A and 1B) was officially opened in December 2005.

MBJ Airports Limited also commissioned a new customs hall, arrivals lobby and transportation center in March 2007.

Since then, further expansion and renovation projects such as the relocation of the immigration hall and duty-free mall have been launched and were completed in September 2008.

The airport also revamped its duty-free offerings and, in March 2018, welcomed three Starbucks outlets (part of Starbucks' first foray in the Jamaican market), complementing the already well-appointed airside offerings like Auntie Anne's, Quiznos, Nathan's, Dairy Queen, Moe's Southwest Grill and Wendy's.