The original airport was located on W. 5th St. behind the WTSB radio station in the area which is now the water plant. As the size of aircraft got larger they could not land at the original airport to refuel due to the short runway.  In 1940 a bond issue was passed for a new airport.  In May of 1941 the WPA approved construction for a 300 acre airport. The Army also took interest because of its location near Ft Bragg and Laurinburg-Maxton Airbase.  In June 1942 the WPA funded one 4,800 foot runway and two 4,000 foot runways.  The War Department requested that the runways extended to 5,000 feet.  The original airport continued to support the community until 1942.

The current airport opened in January of 1943.  In July of 1943 the War Department leased the airport and closed it to civilian use.  As the field training center for the Troop Carrier Squadron at Laurinburg-Maxton Airbase large C-47 transport aircraft and troop carrying gliders utilized the airfield until the end of WWII.  In 1945 the War Department returned the Airport to the Town of Lumberton.

 The Lumberton Municipal Airport has been open to the public ever since. Lumberton was one of the largest civilian airports in the Southeast.  It was a refueling and rest stop for airline and charter airplanes traveling from Miami to New York.  In 1946 the Airport’s first navigation beacon was placed into service, allowing planes to land at Lumberton in poor weather.  The NDB is still operational to this day.

The Lumberton Municipal Airport has a new terminal proposed for completion in 2020.