[2] The airport was established in 1958 and was named in honour of James Stevenson-Hamilton, the first warden of the Kruger national park.

In addition to the rental facility at the airport, they provide a shuttle service to the main Skukuza camp.

[13][14] Flights are also required to take specific paths in order to reduce noise in sensitive natural areas.

In 2001, commercial flights were discontinued due to the opening of Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport near Nelspruit.

Commercial flights were reopened in the second half of 2013, and management of the airport was handed from South African National Parks to a private operator, the Skukuza Airport Management Company, which is jointly owned by Lion Sands Reserve, Federal Air and Airlink.