A man who fired a gun inside Canberra airport committed the crime while on parole for attempted murder.

Ali Rachid Ammoun, 63, pleaded guilty in ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday to discharging a firearm at a building and unlawful possession of a firearm.

On August 14, he fired a number of shots from a handgun into airport windows before being apprehended by federal police.

No one was injured during the incident but the airport was evacuated and remained closed for about three hours.

The court lifted suppression orders on his criminal record, which showed he was on parole after serving a sentence in a West Australian jail for attempting to murder his ex-wife with a knife.

He is due to be sentenced on the two charges on February 21 and remains in custody.

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By Paul Osborne in Canberra