On October 28, 1908, pilot and engineer Hans Grade achieved one of the first motor flights in Germany at Cracauer Anger. This made the site the first airport of the city of Magdeburg and laid the foundation for the long aviation tradition of the region.

After the end of World War I, the air shipping company Magdeburg was founded in November 1919. Its goal was to establish regular airmail connections, offer passenger flights, conduct aerial photography, and provide training for pilots. This marked the beginning of a phase of organized air traffic in Magdeburg.

The increasing flight operations made the expansion of the infrastructure necessary. The second airfield was established on the Cracauer Anger with expanded areas as well as operational buildings, aircraft hangars, a shipyard, and office buildings. This made the location an important center for civil aviation.

During this time, Magdeburg also experienced a brief period as a water flying location. A flight route was established along the Elbe between Dresden, Magdeburg, and Hamburg. The Red Horn Tip served as the airfield, creating the city's third airfield site.

Due to increasing conflicts with the private owner of the Cracauer Angers, the city sought an alternative location. In 1929, the East Airport was finally opened – the fourth airport site, 5.5 km east of the city center on Berliner Chaussee. Modern facilities were built on an area of around 100 hectares that met the requirements of national and international air traffic.

The Ministry of Aviation revoked the airport's civil operating license in 1934. A year later, the Air Force took over the site, forcing the city to find another location for civil air traffic.

The choice fell on today's location at Leipziger Chaussee, the Airport South. On January 4, 1936, the traffic airfield was officially inaugurated. It was suitable for sports and commercial aircraft and allowed Magdeburg to return to the national air traffic network.

Magdeburg has now been integrated into various flight routes, including to Hanover, Leipzig/Halle, Hamburg, and Nürnberg, with connections to Munich. A feeder service connected the airport to the city center. However, due to unfavorable flight schedules and aircraft types, usage remained limited. It was not until 1939 that better aircraft and route planning led to higher occupancy, before civil air traffic was suspended with the onset of World War II.

After the war, the airfield was initially used militarily by Soviet troops. From 1951, civil aviation gradually returned, first with gliding groups, later also with powered flight and parachuting. In 1953/54, the airfield was returned to the city of Magdeburg, and the buildings and facilities were rebuilt.

The airfield took on a new role as an agricultural and economic support center for Interflug and the Society for Sport and Technology (GST). This integrated it more strongly into air traffic and training.

After the political turnaround, the city of Magdeburg took over the airport and founded Flughafen Magdeburg GmbH. This marked the beginning of the modern phase of civil aviation operations.

After extensive construction work, a paved runway has been put into operation. This included new taxiways, a tower, hangars, a terminal, and modern approach procedures. As a result, the airfield now meets the standards of a contemporary regional airport.

With the planning approval, Flughafen Magdeburg GmbH received permission to extend the runway and further develop the airport – a long-held goal that was intended to secure the future.

Due to high subsidies, the city planned to close the airport in 2007. However, after negotiations, a lease agreement was signed with the privately operated Magdeburg Airport Operating Company mbH (FMB) on January 1, 2009. This company took over the operation without municipal subsidies and committed to the further development of the site.

In the following years, FMB invested in numerous projects: The terminal was modernized and expanded to include a restaurant as well as seminar and event rooms, a new building for the police helicopter squadron of Saxony-Anhalt was constructed, and various renovations sustainably improved the infrastructure.

The private FMB Airport Magdeburg Operating Company was taken over by the municipal Magdeburg Airport GmbH. This returned the site to the city after a long period of private management.