The story of the Mont-Joli Airport, from its founding at the beginning of World War II to its development as a regional air service centre, is far from ordinary and deserves a few moments of attention. The following presents a few dates that have marked the development of the Mont-Joli Airport.

1941 - At the beginning of World War II, the Canadian Department of National Defence builds the Mont-Joli Airport. Its installations are designed to facilitate the transport operations of the Transoceanic Service of the Royal Air Force and also to serve as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP).

Bombing and Gunnery School No. 9 trains at the airport and becomes the largest of eleven BCATP schools distributed throughout Canada. During the war, the Eastern Air Command of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) also uses Mont-Joli as a coastal patrol base.

1943 – In February, Canadian Pacific Air Lines (CPAL) is granted permission from the Department of Transport (now Transport Canada) to provide mail and freight transportation service to Goose Bay from the Mont-Joli Airport instead of from Rimouski. After the end of hostilities, CPAL is authorized to provide freight and passenger flights between Mont-Joli, the North Shore of the Saint Lawrence and the North.

1946 – The Mont-Joli Airport becomes the property of the Department of Transport.

1951 - Mont-Joli is recognized as an alternate airport for the North Atlantic air route. The same year, the Department of National Defense extends one of the runways to 1830 metres in order to accommodate emergency landings of its aircraft.

1954 – 1958 - The airport plays a major role in the construction of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) line radar system, serving as a stopover on the Goose Bay, Fort Chimo (now Kuujjuaq) and Frobisher Bay routes.

1972 – Construction of a new terminal.

1974 – A new instrument landing system (ILS) is put into service.

1984 – Installation of a flight information system and extension of the Delta taxiway.

1987 – Construction of the Electronics Maintenance Centre.

1994 – In July 1994, the federal government releases its airport policy, whereby it withdraws from its role in the ownership, management or operation of the nation's airports. As the responsibility for regional and local airports must be transferred to community actors, a process is begun in 1995 to arrange for the takeover of the Mont-Joli Airport.

2001 – Sixtieth anniversary of the Mont-Joli Airport.

2005 - On January 1st, after many discussions and with the support of the Quebec Government, the regional community officially takes over and assumes the management of the Mont-Joli Airport by establishing the Régie intermunicipale de l'aéroport régional de Mont-Joli (Mont-Joli Regional Airport Intermunicipal Management Board). During the three years from 2005 to 2007, the Mont-Joli Airport is improved through the investment of more than $8 million for the renovation of its facilities, apron and equipment, as well as for the construction of a new hangar.

2007 - 230 acres of surplus land located south of the airport are sold to the City of Mont-Joli for the development of a new industrial park.