Kalaeloa (long point) is the original name for the southwestern tip of Oahu and was given to the airport by the Hawaii Department of Transportation and the Barbers Point Redevelopment Commission in the mid 1990s when the future of the former Barbers Point Naval Air Station was being debated.

Because the U.S. Navy had named the airfield after Commander John Rodgers who made the first attempt to fly from San Francisco to Hawaii in 1925, the Hawaii Department of Transportation chose to continue this tradition hence the designator JRF.

The state has operated Kalaeloa Airport since July 1, 1999, as a general aviation reliever airport for Honolulu International Airport.  It has air traffic control functions from 0600 to 2200 daily but is available as an alternate 24/7/365 and has full daily fire fighting capability.

Users are the U.S. Coast Guard, Hawaii Community College Flight Program, Hawaii National Guard and the general aviation community.  Major touch and go training occurs at JRF,  In 2004 there were 140,736 air operations.

Recent major improvements to the Kalaeloa facilities have included a new airfield lighting system, partial runway paving, emergency power systems, fire fighting and commuication equipment.  In 2006, the FAA installed an Instrument Landing System (ILS) on Runway 4R.

Kalaeloa Airport is a major state asset because it provides a launch site for Coast Guard Search and Rescue operations, a training base for general aviation, an emergency response platform, alternate landing site for airlines and the military, and extension of the capacity of HNL.  The runways date from 1942 and will continue to serve aviation for many more decades.

Four of the buildings on Kalaeloa Airport are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places because of their distinctive architecture.  These are the Air Traffic Control Tower (Building 4), Hangars 110 and 111; and the maintenance building (115) which was originally a torpedo assembly and maintenance facility. 

Kalaeloa Airport will continue to be a link to Oahu's World War II history while continuing to serve civilian and military aviation needs.