Tivat Airport was opened on 30 May 1957, featuring a 1,200 meters (3,900 ft) long grass runway, small apron, passenger terminal building and control tower.

Initially, the airport served mainly domestic passenger traffic, with flights to Belgrade, Zagreb and Skopje being operated by JAT, using Douglas DC-3 and Ilyushin Il-14 aircraft.

However, airport facilities struggle to service growing passenger volume during the peak summer season, which results in frequent overcrowding.

Due to this demanding approach procedure, Tivat Airport is known among pilots as the "Kai Tak of Europe".

The airport is frequented by plane spotters, due to its easy access and unobstructed views of the runway, as well as the dramatic mountain backdrop.