It is named after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister of India.

[5] The airport serves as a focus city for Air India and an operating base for IndiGo.

[6] In March 2004, Air India commenced service to London's Heathrow Airport on a Boeing 747.

[13][14] In August 2016, Air India reinstated direct service to London-Heathrow aboard a Boeing 787.

The following month, AAI commenced an international competitive bidding process to award Operations, Management and Development (OMD) contracts for the six airports.

[21] Subsequent to the selection of Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) as the “Selected Bidder”, AEL promoted and incorporated the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) – Ahmedabad International Airport Limited (AIAL), as the concessionaire under the Companies Act, 2013 in accordance with the terms of the RFP.

[22] AIAL signed the Concession Agreement with AAI for exclusive right to operate, manage and develop Ahmedabad Airport on 14 February 2020.

In December 2018, a new Plaza Premium lounge was opened at Terminal 1 (near Gate 4 on first floor), which caters for Priority Pass and other select bank cards as well as some business class passengers based on airline flown.

In November 2018, a new Plaza Premium lounge was opened at the international departures area of Terminal 2, which caters for business class and first class passengers as well as passengers holding Priority Pass and other bank cards.

[30] In 2009, 3,685 square metres (39,670 sq ft) of land was leased for a period of seven years out by the AAI to Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation to set up a center for perishable cargo.

However, due to a government policy that prevented third-party operations at airports run by the AAI, the CPC was not in use until July 2014, when the minister of state for civil aviation announced that the government had issued a No Objection Certificate for commencement of operations.