Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport

Coordinates: 25°54′25″N 097°25′33″W / 25.90694°N 97.42583°W / 25.90694; -97.42583
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport

(former Brownsville Army Airfield)
AMSL
22 ft / 7 m
Coordinates25°54′25″N 097°25′33″W / 25.90694°N 97.42583°W / 25.90694; -97.42583
Websiteflybrownsville.com
Map
BRO is located in Texas
BRO
BRO
BRO is located in the United States
BRO
BRO
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
13R/31L 7,399 2,255 Asphalt
17/35 6,000 1,829 Asphalt
13L/31R 3,000 914 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passenger volume298,000
Aircraft Operations24,326
FAA diagram

Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport (IATA: BRO, ICAO: KBRO, FAA LID: BRO) is 5 miles (4.3 nmi; 8.0 km) east of downtown Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas.[1]

The Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport serves three airlines, six air taxis and offers three fixed-base operations (FBOs) for general aviation. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service facility.[2]

The

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport
(IAH).

History

Brownsville was once the main terminal for air service between the United States and Mexico. In 1929,

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. An event was held on site in Lindbergh's honor, with a crowd of over 20,000 greeting him upon his arrival. Among the attendees was Amelia Earhart, for whom the main street in front of the Airport is named.[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.[3]

Pan Am's service terminated in Brownsville, and passengers were initially taken on the

Braniff Airways began service in 1934, and Eastern Air Lines arrived in 1939.[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.[4]

In 1947, Pan Am's Mexico City route extended to Houston, and Brownsville was an intermediate stop. Pan Am service to Brownsville ended in 1962 as the Mexico City flight became a nonstop DC-8 from Houston.[8] In the 1960s, the 16th weather radar system in the nation was installed at BRO.[4]

In 1979, the year after airline deregulation, Brownsville had three airlines: Braniff International Airways (727s to Dallas/Fort Worth), Texas International Airlines (DC-9s to Houston and McAllen), and Tejas Airlines (commuter turboprops to Corpus Christi, McAllen and San Antonio).[9]

In 1983, the airport was renamed the Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport.[4]

In 2014, expansion of the runway to 10,000 or 12,000 feet (3,000 or 3,700 m) was proposed by the Brownsville City Aviation Director, and the city purchased 8.2 acres (3.3 ha) of land for about $200,000.[10]

In 2021, in part as a response to expanding operations by

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.[13] Since March 2022, one of Starship SN8's flaps has been on public display at Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport.[14]

Brownsville Army Airfield

During

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.

For the first year of the United States' involvement in combat of the war, Pan American continued to operate the airport, providing training to Ferrying Command pilots and ground mechanics assigned to the 18th Transport Transition Training Detachment. With the realignment of Ferrying Command to

Air Transport Command on July 1, 1942, plans were made by the Army to assume jurisdiction of the airport. On July 28, 1943, the USAAF 568th AAF Base Unit, Air Transport Command was assigned to the newly designated Brownsville Army Airfield. The mission of the 4th Fighter Operational Training Unit at the airfield was the training of pilots to ferry pursuit planes to the various theaters of war. 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. In May 1944, a new mission was developed to train multi-engined pilots at the base. The school began operations in June, and the pilots began to ferry large numbers of aircraft to Panama
for subsequent shipment by sealift to Australia.

Achievements of note during World War II at Brownsville AAF were:

With the end of the Pacific War in August 1945, operations at Brownsville AAF were dramatically reduced. 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.[16][17]

Facilities

The Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport covers 1,700 acres (690 ha) at an elevation of 22 feet (6.7 m). It has three asphalt runways: 13R/31L is 7,399 by 150 feet (2,255 by 46 m); 17/35 is 6,000 by 150 feet (1,829 by 46 m); 13L/31R is 3,000 by 75 feet (914 by 23 m).[1]

In 2011, the airport had 37,412 aircraft operations, average 102 per day: 45% general aviation, 40% military, 14% air taxi, and 1% airline. 55 aircraft were then based at the airport: 87% single-engine and 13% multi-engine.[1]

Several regional jets, including the

737-500s
(on Continental Airlines).

Pan American Airways, Inc. (no relation to the original Pan Am) was in the 1931 Pan American Airways Building at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport. The company renovated the 1931 Pan American Airways Building with the intent of re-opening the "Gateway to Latin America" in 2011.[18] That re-opening never happened and the company no longer exists.[19]

Airlines and destinations

ERJ 145
arriving at the Gate 2 jetway.
Airlines

code share agreements with SkyWest Airlines, Mesa Airlines, and CommuteAir
. The third passenger airline at the airport, Avelo, uses Boeing 737 equipment.

Destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Dallas/Fort Worth
Avelo Airlines Seasonal: Burbank, Orlando
United Express Houston–Intercontinental
Destinations map
Dallas/Fort Worth
Houston–Intercontinental
Burbank
Orlando
class=notpageimage|
Destinations from Brownsville
Red = Year-round destination
Green = Seasonal destination
Blue = Future destination

Historical airline service

Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) began serving Brownsville in 1929, flying to Mexico City via Tampico.[23] In 1950, Pan Am Douglas DC-4s flew Brownsville to Mexico City via Tampico; in 1953-54 Pan Am's route was extended north to Houston.[24] In 1960, Pan Am ended the Tampico stop, flying BRO-MEX nonstop; in 1962 the HOU-MEX flight became a DC-8 and Pan Am dropped Brownsville, whose longest runway was 5734 ft until 1965.[25]

In 1931,

American Airways flew Brownsville-San Antonio-Austin-Waco-Fort Worth-Dallas;[26]
in 1934 American Airways became American Airlines and quit flying to south Texas.

Trans-Texas Airways (TTa) also served Brownsville; in 1952 TTa Douglas DC-3s flew Brownsville-Harlingen-McAllen-Alice-Corpus Christi-Beeville-Victoria-Houston.[33] Years later TTa would be renamed Texas International Airlines
.

First jets scheduled to Brownsville were

Braniff International BAC One-Elevens
in May 1965, soon followed by Eastern 727s. The airport then had two airline departures a day, both to Corpus Christi.

In 1966, Braniff's One-Eleven flew Brownsville-Corpus Christi-San Antonio-Austin-Dallas

Chicago O'Hare Airport and Minneapolis/St. Paul.[37] In spring 1981, Braniff had nonstop Boeing 727s to Dallas/Ft. Worth.[38]

In fall 1979, three

McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s.[41]
Hobby Airport in 1986 and 1987 with some continuing to Dallas Love Field or New Orleans.[45]

In fall 1994,

ATR-72s.[48] Continental merged with United Airlines
in 2010.

Allegiant Air scheduled nonstop flights to Las Vegas from beginning June 2015 but ended flights from Brownsville and now services MFE.[49]

Cargo

The Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport is second to Valley International Airport in air cargo handling airports in the Rio Grande Valley.[50]

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.

See also

References

  1. ^
    PDF
    . Federal Aviation Administration. Effective November 15, 2012.
  2. ^ "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "The Brownsville Base". Pan Am Historical Foundation. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e "History". Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  5. ^ "Pan Am timetable, April 1930". Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  6. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, March 15, 1931 American Airways timetable
  7. ^ "Pan Am timetable, 1933". Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  8. ^ "Pan Am route map, 1963". Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  9. ^ "Flights to Brownsville, Texas Effective November 15, 1979". Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  10. ^ "Brownsville Sets Up Airport For Runway Expansion". www.aviationpros.com. The Brownsville Herald, Texas. June 5, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  11. ^ "New Terminal Significantly Increases Capacity, Flexibility at Brownsville South Padre Island Int'l | Airport Improvement Magazine". airportimprovement.com. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  12. ^ "Brownsville airport unveiling new terminal". Port Isabel-South Padre Press. December 4, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  13. ^ "StackPath". www.aviationpros.com. May 18, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  14. ^ Martinez, Laura B. (March 19, 2022). "A piece of history: SN8 wing flap being placed at airport". The Brownsville Herald. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  15. ^ Chilton, Carl (January 2018). "Brownsville Airport History" (PDF). Brownsville Historical Association. p. 4.
  16. ISBN 1-57510-051-7
  17. OCLC 49717555
    .
  18. ISSN 0745-5100
    .
  19. ^ "Statement from Pan American World Airways, Inc". PR Newswire. Dover, NH. December 26, 2012.
  20. ^ "Best Travel Deals, Cheap Flights, Hotel Discounts, Car Rentals and more". Allegiant Air.[permanent dead link]
  21. ^ http://www.aa.com, Timetable
  22. ^ http://www.united.com, Timetable
  23. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, August, 1929 Pan American timetable
  24. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, April 1, 1950 Pan American timetable
  25. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, Aug. 1, 1961 & Aug. 1, 1963 Pan American World Airways timetables
  26. ^ http://www.timedtableimages.com[permanent dead link], March 15, 1931 American Airways timetable
  27. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, April 22, 1935 Braniff timetable
  28. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, Nov. 1, 1940 Braniff timetable
  29. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, Mar. 1, 1939 Eastern timetable
  30. ^ a b http://www.timetableimages.com, Mar. 1, 1941 Eastern timetable
  31. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, Dec. 1, 1958 Eastern timetable
  32. ^ http://www.60sairlineantiques.net Archived April 1, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, June 1, 1965 Eastern timetable
  33. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, Jan. 1, 1952 Trans-Texas timetable
  34. ^ http://www.timetableimages.com, April 24, 1966 Braniff timetable
  35. ^ http://www.60sairlineantiques.net Archived April 1, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, June 13, 1967 Braniff timetable
  36. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, Oct. 27, 1974 Braniff International timetable
  37. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, Oct. 28, 1979 Braniff International timetable
  38. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, April 1, 1981 Official Airline Guide
  39. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, Nov. 15, 1979 Official Airline Guide
  40. ^ a b http://www.departedflights.com, June 1, 1982 Continental/Texas International joint timetable
  41. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, July 1, 1983 Official Airline Guide
  42. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, July 1, 1983 Official Airline Guide; Feb. 15, 1985 Official Airline Guide
  43. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, Nov. 1, 1984 Royale Airlines timetable
  44. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, July 30, 1985 Muse Air timetable
  45. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, Mar. 14, 1986 & June 15, 1987 TranStar maps
  46. ^ a b http://www.departedflights.com, Oct. 30, 1994 Continental timetable
  47. ^ Sept. 15, 1994 Official Airline Guide
  48. ^ a b http://www.departedflights.com, April 2, 1995 Official Airline Guide
  49. ^ "Find cheap flights to and from your city | Allegiant Interactive Route Map". Allegiant Air.
  50. ^ "Final All-Cargo Landed Weights, Rank Order" (PDF). www.faa.gov. 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2021.

External links


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