Starting on November 24, 1951, the airport was named after the aviator Augusto Severo de Albuquerque Maranhão (1864-1902).

Before World War II Air France operated a mail service with flying boats and landplanes across the Atlantic from Dakar which routed via Natal.

Parnamirim was a combination land and marine airport also used by Pan American World Airways and Panair do Brasil flying boats.

The airport gained an important role during World War II as a strategic base for aircraft flying between South America and West Africa.

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency