Schaffen Air Base was originally established about 1914 by the invading Imperial German Army during World War I.

The Imperial German Air Service (Die Fliegertruppen) used it as an airfield before withdrawing in November 1918 after the Armistice with Germany.

On the early morning of 10 May, the alarm was sounded, and the pilots at Schaffen Air Base went to their planes, thinking it was an exercise.

The British Army moved through the Diest area, clearing the occupying German forces north into The Netherlands.

After the war Schaffen became the location of the Belgian Air Force elementary fying school (French: Ecole de Pilotage Elémentaire; Dutch: Elementaire Vliegschool).

Schaffen Air Base has also been the home of the Training Center for Parachutists (TrgC Para) of the Belgian ParaCommandos since 1946.