St. John's International Airport is located northwest it is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). CBSA officers at this airport can handle aircraft with no more than 165 passengers. However, they can handle up to 450 if the aircraft is unloaded in stages. It was felt that a permanent airfield defense facility was needed and as a result discussions were carried out among Canada, Newfoundland and the United Kingdom during 1940. In late 1940 the Canadian Government agreed to construct an air base near St. John's.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Runway name
! Length
! Width
! Surface
|-
| 8/26
|
|
| Hard surfaced
|-
| 17/35
|
|
| Hard surfaced
|-
| 2/20
|
|
| Hard surfaced
|}
107 Rescue Unit RCAF
In 1954 a rescue unit was established, 107 Rescue Unit, by the RCAF to replace the existing detachment of the 103 Rescue Unit. It would remain here until 1964.
107 Rescue Unit hosted a few different aircraft to perform search and rescue operations:
- Canso-A (1)
- Noorduyn Norseman (1)
- Avro Lancaster (2) – replaced by North Star in 1963
- Canadair North Star (2) – replaced Lancasters in 1963
Post war
Although the airfield was not used as much as Argentia, Gander, Stephenville and Goose Bay airports in the movement of large numbers of aircraft to England, it was still quite busy.
The airport underwent a $50 million renovation in 2002. The air terminal was completely renovated, expanded and modernized to meet the standards of other airport terminals its size across North America. The airport has undergone more renovations since then and plans are in place to prepare of land to build an industrial park adjacent to the airport.
The airport was designated as one of five Canadian airports suitable as an emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle orbiter.
In May 2006, Air Canada announced it would terminate its flight to London's Heathrow Airport later that year. Many Newfoundland residents, including the mayor of St. John's, decried the decision, leading Air Canada to resume the route seasonally in April 2007. In May 2007, Astraeus Airlines introduced year-round service to London's Gatwick Airport aboard a Boeing 737. The flight ended three months later; most people had opted to fly Air Canada to London. In September 2007, Air Canada also ceased its London route, leaving Newfoundland without any flights to Europe for the first time since World War II. In 2014, Air Canada began flying year-round to London. It later started operating the flight with a Boeing 737 MAX. The airline suspended the link after the plane was grounded in March 2019.