The airport was originally built by Nazi Germany after the occupation of France in 1940 as a Luftwaffe base (Fliegerhorst Merville), as part of the defences of the Pas de Calais area. After the area was liberated in 1944 it was converted by United States Army Air Forces engineers into an allied airfield. The airport was used by the Royal Air Force as Advanced Landing Ground B-53 Merville.
