It is the home of the Sligo Aero Club (a Registered Training Facility) and the northwest base for the Irish Coastguard.

In 2002 a Euroceltic Airways Fokker F27 aircraft carrying the band Aslan overshot the runway and the nose dipped into the sea.

[2] As of 2002, Euroceltic was operating the Government of Ireland public service obligation subsidy scheme for the route to Dublin.

On 21 February 2007 the Irish Government announced that it would be giving €8.5 million to the airport in capital grant money, to upgrade the runway and add approach lighting and safety enhancements.

The Irish Government-commissioned Value for Money Review of Exchequer Funding on the Regional Airports Programme recommended the ending of operational subvention to the airport and the ending of the PSO designation, citing poor performance, growing operational costs and development of alternative transport connections to the region.

Sligo Airport is the home of Rescue 118, the Irish Coast Guard Helicopter which has served the north-west of Ireland since 2004.

On 2 November 2002, a Euroceltic Fokker F-27 (registered G-ECAT) was coming in to land, after a routine flight from Dublin, when it overran the runway.