The airport is on the site of
Ardmore Army Air Field (1942 to 1946), later
Ardmore Air Force Base (1953 to 1959).
Central Airlines served Ardmore from about 1951 until 1963. Central listed the airport in their March 1, 1960 timetable as the Gene Autry Air Base, 13 miles north of the city, and the code as "AFD" at the time. On April 22, 1966
American Flyers Airline Flight 280/D, flying a Lockheed Electra L-188 on approach to Ardmore crashed into a hill. 83 of the 98 aboard were killed, including the president of American Flyers who was piloting the aircraft. This was a flight under charter to the Military Air Command, en route from
Monterey, California, to
Columbus, Georgia, with a scheduled refueling stop at Ardmore. An autopsy showed that the pilot had suffered a massive heart attack during the attempted landing. He was not wearing his harness and slumped forward into the controls, which prevented the co-pilot from taking control. Subsequent investigation showed that the pilot was under treatment for arteriosclerosis and diabetes, but that he had falsified information on his application for a First Class Medical Certificate, which would have been denied except for the falsification. == Facilities==