Brownsville international Airport: A flight that made history

It was in 1928, a year before the stock market crash, that Brownsville community leaders constructed the first aviation facility. It was a historical day when air service was made possible to serve South Texas, and the needs of the Region, United States, and Mexico.

The area that made up the airport covered 480 acres. It had two gravel runways, a one-story terminal building with two wings, a small overhead tower, one hangar and an oil house.

Lindbergh lands in Brownsville

On March 9, 1929, at 1:34 p.m. Charles Lindbergh landed in Brownsville after a historic flight establishing the first leg of Airmail Service to Mexico.

Another aviation notable, Amelia Earhart, was there to greet him, along with 20,000 people. It was a spectacular inauguration — Lindbergh’s landing began Brownsville’s rich aviation history.

Amelia Earhart earned her commercial pilot’s license at the Brownsville international Airport while flying a plane borrowed from Les Mauldin — Brownsville’s first airport manager. Howard Hughes was also known to frequently visit Brownsville during the 1930s.

Pan American Airways (PAA) comes to town

By June of the same year, the airport comes up in the world. With the increase of traffic at the airfield, PAA leased the airport from the city of Brownsville. As the sole operating agent began a movement to improve every phase of the facility.

PAA’s arrival to Brownville came as a result of a contract awarded to them by the United States Post Office to carry mail between Mexico City and New York. Today, it’s called the Brownsville South Pa

Today, it’s called the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport and continues the journey that started in 1928 — to meet the needs of a progressive region by providing a modern and necessary aviation facility.

Borrowing the words of Paul Harvey, “And now you know the rest of the story!”

Note: Excerpts were taken from the Brownsville Herald and Airport Anniversary Program.