The airport of Trento was first built by the Austrians in 1914 at Gardolo, between the railway line and the Adige river. It hosted up to 50 airplanes and was bombed by the Italian air force in 1916 and 1918. The airplanes were burned down on 4 November 1918, concurrently with the Austro-Hungarian route. In the post-war period, it became a stop for an international passenger airline and then the headquarters of the Caproni aeronautical building yard and testing center. In World War 2, it was used by the German troops.

In 1969 the airport was moved to its current position south of the city of Trento.

Initially run by the Aero Club Trento from 1987 to 2017, the airport’s management was then handed over to Caproni S.p.A., the company purposely created by the Autonomous Province of Trento. As envisaged in the provincial plan for the reorganization of the participating companies of the Autonomous Province of Trento, the company Aeroporto Gianni Caproni S.p.A. was incorporated by the company Trentino Trasporti S.p.A., and all of the certifications owned by Aeroporto Gianni Caproni S.p.A. were transferred to Trentino Trasporti S.p.A..

The night flight system was set up in 2001 and then certified in 2005.

In 2007, the DVOR-DME radio beacon came into service, followed by the onset of VFR/N flight for helicopters.

Since 2009, the company has been certified by ENAC as ‘Air navigation service provider’ as regards the ATS (AFIS) and CNS (EANC-ASP-008) parts, and has been designated (ENAC-DES-ATM-008) as manager of its own airspace. Following this certification and qualification, the AFIS unit of Trento was activated and the ATZ was created.

Since 2010, in addition to running the airport the company has been managing the 15 strategic helipads of the Autonomous Province of Trento and the Tonale airfield.

In 2013 the opening hours of the airport and of the AFIS unit service were extended to 24 hours in order to accommodate the needs of the fleet of helicopters of the Autonomous Province of Trento’s civil defence corps.

In 2014 an IFR procedure for helicopters was published. 

In 2017, after years of preparation the airport’s runway was extended and the RESA for runways 36 and 18 were completed.

In the same year, the company used European funds collected by GSA to install PBN procedures for helicopters to/from the Airport of Trento and to construct the Helipad of the Cles hospital. The PBN procedures, that have been the first of their kind to be implemented in Europe, have already been authorized by ENAC and were published in the course of 2018. 

As envisaged by the provincial plan for the reorganization of the investee companies of the Autonomous Province of Trento, starting from 31 December 2017, the company Aeroporto Gianni Caproni S.p.A. was incorporated by the company Trentino Trasporti S.p.A..

Currently over one hundred aircraft, 5 flight schools, the Civil Protection helicopter unit as well as some flying clubs and various private aircraft are based at the airport.