The airport opened on May 11, 2009. It is currently the only privately owned, privately operated commercial service airport in the United States[4][5][6] as National Express Group Plc. reverted control of Stewart International Airport to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. As part of the negotiations to create the airport, obtain financing and reduce liability, Branson Airport, LLC had to "gift" the land they owned to Taney County, Missouri in order to lease and operate the airport privately