In 1923 the authorities of Logroño had several contacts with General Echagüe – Director General of Aeronautics - which resulted in the installation of a secondary air station. After visiting various sites, a military commission decided to locate the air station on the site known as Recajo, some ten kilometres east of Logroño. The construction work began in 1924 and on 3 September two De Havilland aeroplanes flew to Logroño to check the operating capacity of the air field. The official inauguration took place on 30 July 1928.
This aerodrome had an airfield of 1,000 by 600 metres and was registered as a military airport, serving temporarily as a civil airport. In 1929 a fleet of 16 De Havilland reconnaissance aircraft were moved to Logroño. In the month of March the airport was opened for air navigation and official and private air traffic, in accordance with the instructions regarding the organisation of commercial air navigation services in military aerodromes.
On 5 February 1932 the name Recajo Aerodrome was changed to Agoncillo Aerodrome. In that same year the Logroño Flying Club was founded. Initially the club used an airfield at Prado Viejo, where it continued to operate until 20 December 1948, when it was moved to Agoncillo Aerodrome.
In 1936 the 23rd reconnaissance group was based at the aerodrome and in 1938 the Parque Regional de Levante (Levante Regional workshop facility) was set up, dedicated to repairing aircraft, engines and equipment. In 1939, the facility adopted the name of Maestranza Aérea de Logroño, remaining in operation until the 1950s.
Opening to civil traffic
Agoncillo Aerodrome was reopened to civil air traffic, full national traffic and international tourist traffic and technical stopovers for commercial traffic in July 1946. The airfield has an area of 1,500 by 700 metres of natural land and a runway (11-29) of 1,500 by 40 metres. In 1950, Agoncillo was classified as a military base open to civil traffic, class B with daytime flights only. For the approach there was a radio beacon and a gonio located on the eastern edge of the airfield. For landing manoeuvres three flight strips were declared operational: 13-31, 2,100 metres long, 90-27, 1,950 metres long, and 17-35, 1,500 metres long.
From the end of the 1960s aircraft activity languished, with the exception of the limited number of flights from the flying club. During the eighties the airfield experienced a certain resurgence of activity as Agoncillo began to be used by Civil Guard and army helicopters. For this reason the facilities were handed over to the army in 1994, where the Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra (FAMET) (Army Air-mobile Forces) were established.
From 1996 onwards, the government of La Rioja, encouraged by the experiences at Leon and Burgos, took various steps to convert Agoncillo into the Logroño's Airport. After drafting the Master Plan and several projects, the BOE (Official Gazette of the Spanish State) published a resolution on 21 September 1998 from the Secretary of State for Infrastructure and Transport, and as a result Logroño-Agoncillo Airport was declared a General Interest Airport, under the direct management of the central government. In May 2003 a whole series of new facilities were opened at the airport: a passenger terminal, measuring 4,000 square metres; a multi-service building; an airfield comprised of a 2,000 metre long runway, apron and runway lighting; a control tower; and a car park for vehicles.
