[1] The Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport serves three airlines, six air taxis and offers two fixed-base operations (FBOs) for general aviation.

In 1929, Pan American World Airways acquired a controlling stake in Mexicana de Aviación and began Ford Trimotor service between Brownsville and Mexico City, eventually extended to the Yucatan Peninsula to connect with Pan Am's Caribbean route network.

[3] On March 9, Charles Lindbergh inaugurated this service, landing at BRO after a five-hour, 38-minute flight from Mexico City.

[4] Brownsville became an early center for technical development in instrument navigation ("blind flying") due to the bad weather conditions that pilots encountered in the mountains over Mexico.

[5] In 1931, American Airways was flying a multi-stop route Brownsville to Dallas, connecting to Chicago, Los Angeles and other cities.

[4] During World War II the airport was redubbed Brownsville Army Air Field and used by the military for pilot training, engine testing and overhauls.

In 2021, in part as a response to expanding operations by SpaceX in relation to its South Texas launch site, a new 91,000 square foot terminal was opened to accommodate an increase in tourism and migration.

[11][12] A further $1.6 million was awarded to the city of Brownsville by the Federal Aviation Administration to enhance the airport's jet bridges.

Shortly after the Pearl Harbor Attack on December 7, 1941, both Army and Navy observation aircraft began operations from the airport flying antisubmarine missions over the Gulf of Mexico.

On July 28, 1943, the USAAF 568th AAF Base Unit, Air Transport Command was assigned to the newly designated Brownsville Army Airfield.

Training was carried out by AAF instructor pilots, however Pan American Airways retained operations at the airfield flying larger 2 and 4 engine transports to the airport as an overhaul facility.

Flight operations continued at a reduced level for the balance of 1945, however in early January the base was declared surplus and was inactivated on March 5, 1946, and returned to full civilian control.

The company renovated the 1931 Pan American Airways Building with the intent of re-opening the "Gateway to Latin America" in 2011.

Pan American Airways and World-Wide Consolidated Logistics, Inc. were to open cargo service to Latin America in 2011.

A TSA Certified Cargo Screening Facility was established by World-Wide Consolidated Logistics, Inc. to facility the screening of domestic and international cargo to and from the United States with the intent of Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport being the "Gateway to Latin America" in 2011 and the "Gateway to Africa" (via the Southern Route) in 2012.

Those plans never came to fruition because the entity's (PAAWWCL) owner ran into legal trouble, preventing the airline from initiating any new services.

[30] In 1941, Eastern's "Mexico Silver Sleeper" flew New York City-Washington, D.C.-Atlanta-New Orleans-Houston Hobby Airport-Corpus Christi-Brownsville.

[39] In fall 1979, three Texas International Airlines Douglas DC-9-10s a day flew nonstop to Houston Intercontinental Airport.

[40] In summer 1982, Texas International, which had been acquired by Continental Airlines, was flying two DC-9-10s a day nonstop to Houston;[41] one continued to Dallas/Ft.