The airport was built in 1943 as Constantine Airfield by the United States Army during the World War II North African Campaign. It was primarily a maintenance and supply depot for Air Technical Service Command and also served as headquarters for XII Bomber Command as a command and control base. It also was used as a command post for Allied Forces Command (AFHQ) for Free French, British and United States ground forces in Algeria in February 1943, under the command of General Sir Harold R. L. G. Alexander to coordinate the actions of the United States First Army advancing from the west and the British Eighth Army, advancing from the east against the German Afrika Korps.