Vera Cruz Airport, built in 1955 by the then Deputy-Governor of Goiás, Bernardo Sayão, at the request of the chairman of the location of the New Federal Capital, Marechal José Pessoa, already existed.

It had a dirt runway of 2,700 metres (8,900 ft) and a passenger terminal in a makeshift, cob-wall shack covered with buriti-leaves.

[8] In 1965, Oscar Niemeyer proposed a visionary project for Brasília Airport to replace the wooden terminal: circular, with similar outside pillars of Alvorada Palace and subway tunnels to the satellite apron.

In 1990, Brasília International Airport underwent its first major renovation and began to gain its present form with a central body and two satellites initially planned, but only one concluded, the west wing.

Since 1990, it has been under renovation and expansions, constructed by Camargo Côrrea, following an architectural concept of the architect Sérgio Roberto Parada, with conclusion between 2000 until 2004.

In the second phase, the main body of the passenger terminal was refitted to include a shopping-mall and the satellite received nine jetways.

[14] Following a decision made on 26 April 2011 by the Federal Government for private companies being granted concessions to operate some Infraero airports,[15] on 6 February 2012, the administration of the airport was granted for 25 years to the Consortium Inframérica, formed by the Brazilian Engineering Group Engevix (50 %) and the Argentinean Group Corporación América (50 %).

[17][18] Between 2012 and 2014, the consortium INFRAMERICA invested R$ 1.2 billion:[19] remodeling the terminal, increasing the number of jetways from 13 to 29 and 40 to 70 airplane positions.