Los Llanos airport's origins date back to 1913, when a commission from Guadalajara Air Station Park visited Albacete and requested town council's support and the donation of the necessary land to set up a station for the park. The town council accepted and approved the cession of land situated in the areas known as Los Llanos and La Pulgosa, where the construction of an aerodrome and the necessary ancillary buildings was approved. The agreement was passed onto the War Ministry, who officially accepted the offer in 1916, and a few months later approved the aerodrome's construction and budgets.
While work was being carried out on the aerodrome, a provisional one was built on land near the exhibition centre, which would be occasionally used from 26 May 1916, when the military Madrid-Cartagena raid stopped over in the city. The work on the new aerodrome was interrupted owing to the lack of budget from the War Ministry and City Hall's refusal to accept responsibility for it.
In September 1917, the general manager of Military Aviation, explained to Albacete's mayor the need for an airfield between Cuatro Vientos and Los Alcázares, which is why Albacete was chosen for the construction of the aerodrome. The town council purchased land on the La Torrecilla estate, which was then ceded to the War Ministry. Military Aviation began the construction of the hangars and adapted the land. This airport was called La Torrecica and was used for the first time by two planes, which arrived in the city in September 1923 for the festivals that year.
It was suggested that the Spanish Aviation Company (CEA) should take charge of the training of the official pilots, and that its site would be La Torrecica aerodrome, and in February 1924, the first course began. La Torrecica thus became the venue of the Elementary Civil Flying School. In 1927, the CEA moved from the airfield to 50-hectare grounds on the Los Llanos estate, where it would build an airfield and a series of ancillary facilities. This was officially inaugurated on 27 April 1929. From then on, the old La Torrecica aerodrome was used by some military aircraft and a flying school.
In 1931, owing to the budgetary restrictions in the War Ministry, Army and Navy, the contract with the CEA was rescinded, thereby obliging the company to close its school in October 1932. Nonetheless, the aerodrome remained opened to civil traffic.
During the civil war, the aerodrome was used by the military rebels and, from 26 July 1936, by the Republicans. Once the war was over, the Air Force set up the 13th Bomber Squadron in Los Llanos with Katiuska planes from the former Republican aviation. The State acquired the aerodrome and the workshops served as a base for Albacete's Air Arsenal. This did not prevent the airport from opening to civil traffic in July 1946. Work was carried out, including the paving and subsequent extension of Runway 28-10 to 2,250 by 65 metres.
Due to the scarcity of civil traffic and the fact the air base was increasingly used for military purposes, it was closed to civil traffic in 1955. 10 years later it was reopened for civil use during the day at the request of Albacete Flying Club, which would establish its base there from that time.
In 1991, a non-aeronautical event changed the airport's activity. The Albacete Balompié football team moved up to the first division, which is why the commercial aircraft had to land at Los Llanos to transfer the teams from all over the country on the first charter flights to Los Llanos. In 1992, a travel agency began to arrange Albacete – Palma de Mallorca charter flights with great success.
In June 2003, to enable civilian use of the facilities, Aena opened the Provisional Passenger Area with the approval of the Air Force General Staff. These provisional facilities consisted of a provisional passenger terminal, refurbishment of the firefighting services building, adaptation of the Maestranza apron, and a garage for firefighting vehicles.
In November 2005, the Ministry of Public Works inaugurated the new Terminal Building, with a surface area of over 2,200 square metres. The runway, 2,700 by 60 metres has a category I ILS system in both departure points for low-visibility operations and can be operated by any type of aircraft. The parking apron, with an area of some 20,000 square metres, has capacity for two B-737s and four light aircraft. The airport also has a services building housing the rescue and fire fighting service, a loading centre, the power plant, a mechanical workshop for airport vehicles, and other facilities, including a car park.
