[9][10] Virgin Australia has a smaller maintenance facility at the airport, where line-maintenance on the airline's 737 fleet is performed.

While in operation, Charles Kingsford Smith landed at Eagle Farm on 9 June 1928, after completing the first trans-pacific flight in his Fokker F.VII, the Southern Cross.

[16] There is now a museum containing the original aircraft, along with a memorial located within the Brisbane Airport precinct.

During World War II, Brisbane was the headquarters of the Supreme Commander of Allied forces in the South West Pacific Area, General Douglas MacArthur.

[15] By the 1960s, the facilities at Eagle Farm Airport were inadequate for a city of Brisbane's size and anticipated growth.

Many long-haul international services to Asia were required to make an en route stop (e.g., at Darwin), disadvantaging the city to lure prospective carriers and business opportunities.

The new airport was built by Barclay Brothers at a cost of $400 million and opened on 19 March 1988, with a new domestic terminal and two runways.

Large amounts of sand were pumped from nearby Moreton Bay to raise the swamp land above the tidal range.

In September 1995, the international terminal was inaugurated by Prime Minister Paul Keating, and it has been expanded since that time.

As at January 2024, the major shareholders were Queensland Investment Corporation (29%), Igneo Infrastructure Partners (27%), Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (20%) and IFM Investors (20%).

In early December 2014 the delivery of 11,000,000 cubic metres (388,461,334 cu ft) of sand to the site was completed.

The $45 million redevelopment is designed by Brisbane architectural practices Richards and Spence and Arkhefield.

Queensland artists, Sebastian Moody and Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori, were commissioned for the artworks.

The domestic terminal has three distinct areas serving Qantas and QantasLink at the northern end of the building and Virgin Australia at the southern end of the building with other carriers such as Jetstar located in the central area of the terminal.

On 27 February 2014, Qantas announced it had disposed of its long-term lease (signed in 1987) at the domestic terminal which was due to expire on 30 December 2018.

These flights, using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, depart Brisbane from the Domestic Terminal, and provide a guided aerial tour of Antarctica before returning to Australia.

[106] The Northern Access Road project, completed in December 2009, significantly reduces traffic congestion on Airport Drive.

The Airtrain Citylink travels via the Queensland Rail network to Fortitude Valley and the Brisbane CBD, with most trains continuing to the Gold Coast via South Bank.

There is a free inter-terminal bus connecting the two terminals and the nearby Skygate shopping precinct, DFO and adjacent Novotel Brisbane Airport hotel.

From the Skygate shopping precinct, Translink bus route 590 connects to the rest of Brisbane's public transport system.

[109] As only two of eight capitals are located in the Brisbane FIR, it handles a lesser volume of traffic than Melbourne Centre.