The airport is 23 kilometres (14 mi) south of Tobruk, at the town of Al Adm.

The first international passenger flight was to Alexandria, Egypt, operated by Libyan Airlines.

Plans are currently underway to establish cargo service to Tobruk's International Airport.

At the beginning of World War II, Libya was an Italian colony and Tobruk became the site of important battles between the Allies and Axis powers.

Tobruk was strategically important to the conquest of Eastern Libya, then called the province of Cyrenaica.