The airport was formerly known as RAF Machrihanish, and hosted squadrons of the Royal Air Force and other NATO airforces. The airport is at a strategic point over the Irish sea, and was used to guard the entrance to the Firth of Clyde where US nuclear submarines were based at Holy Loch and Royal Navy nuclear submarines based at Faslene Naval Base.
Military operations ceased in 1997.
Today the airport is serviced by a Loganair flight to Glasgow International Airport from Monday to Friday.
At 3,049 metres, the runway at Cambeltown Airport is the longest in Europe.