On 20 May 1979, at the forecourt square in the Magadan airport, the unveiling of a monument of labor glory took place: the An-12 aircraft with tail number USSR-11355.

In 1991, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Magadan Airport received international status, and the town gained exposure to the outside world with the inauguration of Alaska Airlines flights to the United States using Boeing 727 jets.

Alaska Airlines flights into Magadan and elsewhere in Russia were halted in October 1998 shortly after the 1998 Russian financial crisis, which rendered the routes unprofitable.

Aeroflot suspended flights to Sokol airport on 1 February 2009, due to the planned removal from service of the Tu-154 aircraft.

Notably, Transaero's last flight prior to bankruptcy was operated from this airport to Moscow Vnukovo on the 25th of October 2015.