Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport
IATA: BRO – ICAO: KBRO – FAA LID: BRO
Summary
Airport type		Public
Owner		City of Brownsville
Serves		Brownsville / South Padre Island, Texas
Location		Brownsville, Texas
Elevation AMSL		22 ft / 7 m
Coordinates		25°54′25″N 097°25′33″W / 25.90694°N 97.42583°W / 25.90694; -97.42583
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
13L/31R	3,000	914	Asphalt
13R/31L	7,400	2,256	Asphalt
17/35	6,000	1,829	Asphalt
Statistics (2007)
Aircraft operations			43,105
Based aircraft			56
Source: Federal Aviation Administration

FAA airport diagram

Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport (IATA: BRO, ICAO: KBRO, FAA LID: BRO) is a city-owned public-use airport located four nautical miles (7 km) east of the central business district of Brownsville, a city in Cameron County, Texas, United States.

The airport is mostly used for general aviation, but it is also served by commercial airlines. It is a convenient airport for flying into the Rio Grande Valley and Northern Mexico. Most cities in the Rio Grande Valley are accessible from BRO by automobile within 30-60 minutes. It is also the closest commercial airport to South Padre Island.

The National Weather Service forecast office for Deep South Texas is located on the airport grounds.

History

• On March 9, 1929, Charles Lindbergh landed at BRO after a five hour, 38 minute historic flight from Mexico City to the United States. This established the first leg of Airmail Service to Mexico.
  • 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. This event has been described as an international event of great significance.
• Pan-American Airways started service at the airport on June 4th, 1929, the beginning of a 30-year relationship between BRO and PanAm.
• During World War II the airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces.
  • The first American jet engine flight was tested at Brownsville Army Air Field.
  • B-29 bombers were renovated on the site.
  • The airport had one of the largest overhaul facilities in the country. By the end of the war Pan American had overhauled nearly 6,000 engines.
  • Civilian Pilot Training program initiated to train military and commercial pilots.
  • Only Mexican military unit to engage in combat during World War II, the 201st Fighter Squadron, trained at the Brownsville Army Air Field.
• In the 1960s, the 16th weather radar system in the nation was installed at BRO.
• In 1983, the airport was officially renamed the Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport.

Facilities and aircraft

Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport covers an area of 1,700 acres (688 ha) at an elevation of 22 feet (7 m) above mean sea level. It has three asphalt paved runways: 13L/31R measuring 3,000 x 75 ft (914 x 23 m), 13R/31L measuring 7,400 x 150 ft (2,256 x 46 m) and 17/35 measuring 6,000 x 150 ft (1,829 x 46 m).

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2007, the airport had 43,105 aircraft operations, an average of 118 per day: 52% general aviation, 35% military, 13% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. At that time there were 56 aircraft based at this airport: 91% single-engine and 9% multi-engine.

Various aircraft types, including Embraer ERJ 140 and Embraer ERJ 145, are used by Continental Express and American Eagle in Brownsville. Previous aircraft used include ATR-42 and Embraer ERJ 135 aircraft (ExpressJet Airlines), Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft (Chautauqua Airlines), as well as Boeing 737-200, 737-300 and 737-500 aircraft (Continental Airlines).

On June 21, 2010 Pan American Airways, Inc. was incorporated in Delaware. Pan American Airways, located in the 1931 Pan American Airways Building at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport is in the process of renovating the 1931 Pan American Airways Building with the intent of re-opening the "Gateway to Latin America" in 2011 with up to 70 monthly flights to Latin American cities. Plans are to renovate the entire 1931 building and start flights under Pan American Airways. For information go to panamericanairways.net.

Airlines and destinations

An ExpressJet Airlines ERJ 145 arriving at the Gate 2 jetway.

Cargo

The airport is the largest air cargo handling airport in the Rio Grande Valley.

Pan American Airways and World-Wide Consolidated Logistics, Inc. will open cargo service to Latin America in 2011. A TSA Certified Cargo Screening Facility is being established by World-Wide Consolidated Logistics, Inc. to facility the screening of domestic and international cargo to and from the United States with the 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.

Website

The Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport is the first airport in Texas to offer flight status notification via text-messaging through its website. When the system was launched, it was one of only three airports in the nation between Michigan and Alabama to offer such a service.

In addition to flight status text-messaging notification, the site also features current fares to popular routes, including Houston, Atlanta, Toronto, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Querétaro.

Runway Information

Runway 06/24

Radio Navigation Aids

Remarks

• TREES SURROUND ARPT ON NORTH, SOUTH, AND EAST. STEEP DROP-OFF TO WEST.
• TERRAIN RISES 850' ABV RY ELEV 4000' EAST OF RY END.
• RY 06 +10 FT BRUSH 75 FT LEFT 200 FT FM EOR; +10 FT TREES 50 FT RIGHT 200 FT FM EOR.
• ESTABD PRIOR TO 15 SEP 49.

Based Aircraft

Operational Statistics

Brownsville Airport  

Address: Yuba County, CA

Tel: 619-452-9677, 530-675-2795

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