In 1938, on January 27, Carol II decreed the establishment of "an airport in Craiova, which will also serve as a military airfield, in case of war...". Starting from that year, the Craiova Airport "affected to the public air transport of passengers and cargo" operated on the current location. At that time, take-off and landing were done on a dirt runway measuring 1000 x 200 m. Between 1938 and 1956, passenger services were virtually non-existent, lacking the comfort that passengers enjoy today. Between 1950 and 1952, a concrete runway with dimensions of 2000 x 60 m was built and the first facilities were made with means of approach and landing consisting of 2 NDBs. On May 6, 1957, the first air line was opened, Craiova - Bucharest, with Russian LI-2 airplanes. In 1959, the building where the control tower and the airport dispatcher are located today was built, and AN-2 airplanes were used until 1962 when the use of modern, for those years, IL-14 type airplanes began. This type of aircraft served the Craiova - Bucharest route until 1972. Also in the period 1959 - 1972, the runway was extended to the dimensions of 2500 x 60 m and a taxiway of 380 x 14 m and a platform for boarding - disembarking were built of 75 x 110 m, both made of concrete.