History

Prior to 1970
1929 Bates Field at Brookley is officially dedicated as an airport

Charles Lindbergh (center) 1927, ALCOA Collection,
University of South Alabama Archives.


Mardi Gras Queens posing at Mobile Airport, 1931, Erik Overbey Collection,
University of South Alabama Archives.

1937 First commercial air carrier service begins
1938 Bates Field is moved to its current location in west Mobile - 8400 Airport Blvd.
1947 Mobile Municipal Airport terminal constructed at Bates Field in west Mobile
1950 Mobile Municipal Airport airline’s carry 30,000 enplaned passengers
1965 Coast Guard moves its aviation training center to Bates Field
1970
November 14, 1972 First board meeting of Interim Airport Authority

Eastern Airlines flight from Mobile, circa 1950, Stephens G. Croom Collection,
University of South Alabama Archives.
1977 County Commission authorizes expansion of Mobile Municipal Airport and creation of the Mobile Airport Authority through Alabama State Legislation

Airport served by Eastern Airlines, Southern Airways, and National Airlines

June 20, 1978 Groundbreaking ceremony for airport runway expansion
September 1978 Delta files a petition with the Civil Aeronautics Board to serve Mobile
October 22, 1978 Southeastern Airport Managers Association Conference held in Mobile
1978 Airline Deregulation Act passed
April 16, 1979 47th consecutive record breaking month, in terms of passengers, at Mobile Municipal Airport
June, 1979 Texas International Airlines begins serving Mobile with a special round-trip fare of $0.20 cents
1980
January 11, 1980 City Commissioners agree to move forward with new airport facility

Instruct attorneys to create documentation for a five-member municipal airport authority board of directors


The USS Enterprise on its way to the World's Fair in New Orleans, 1984.
  University of South Alabama Archives.
January 16, 1980 Mobile Bay Taxi begins serving Mobile Municipal Airport
January 1980 Pan American World Airways merges with National Airlines
December 20, 1982 G. Bay Haas is appointed Executive Director of the Mobile Airport Authority

Airport Authority becomes the owner and operator of Mobile Municipal Airport, Brookley Downtown Airport and Brookley Industrial Complex

January 3, 1983 G. Bay Haas’ first day as Executive Director
1984 Mobile Municipal Airport reaches 40 flights per day aboard American, Delta, Eastern, Republic and two commuter carriers: Air New Orleans and Scheduled Skyways
March 5, 1985 Groundbreaking Ceremony for new airport terminal
1984 Mobile and Gulfport/Biloxi Airports declared a Foreign Trade Zone
October 27, 1986 Official Dedication of M.C. Farmer Terminal – Mobile Municipal Airport
November 1, 1986 Mobile Municipal Airport opens with the arrival of American Airlines flight 143
1990
Fall 1993 USAir, Delta, Continental and American serve Mobile

Conquest Commuter Airline begins serving Mobile


Mobile Regional Airport airfield. Courtesy of MyShotz
October 1993 American Airlines ends service / American Eagle begins service to Mobile
November 1993 Continental Airlines ends service to Mobile
May 1994 UltraAir begins service to Birmingham and New York
July 1994 UltraAir goes out of business
October 8, 1994 “Family” sculpture unveiled
March 21, 1994 Conquest ends commuter airline service
April 1994 Delta begins service to Birmingham
May 27, 1994 UltraAir begins service to Birmingham and New York
1994 Mobile Regional served by: USAir, Delta Air Lines, American Eagle, Conquest, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Continental Express and Northwest Airlink
May 1995 USAir ends service to Charlotte
September 1995 Continental Express resumes flights to Houston

American Eagle begins service to Tampa

November 1, 1995 Gulfstream International Airlines begins service to Birmingham, New Orleans and Tampa
March, 1996 “Mobile” Jet Express (Myrtle Beach Direct Air) delays starting service to New York, Chicago and Atlanta due to lack of demand; set to start on May 24 (service never starts)
May 2, 1996 ValuJet/AirTran begins service to Atlanta (also starts service from Fort Walton)
May 11, 1996 ValuJet plane crashes in everglades

ValuJet/AirTran begins service to Atlanta (again)

April 10, 1997 AirTran begins service to Atlanta for the third time
July 1997 Delta begins service to Birmingham

Direct flights:
Delta Connection/COMAIR- 3 flights (jets) to Cincinnati

Continental Express – 2 flights (jets), 1 flight (turboprop) to Houston

Delta Airlines - 8 flights (jets) to Atlanta, 3 flights (jets) to Dallas, 1 flight (jet) to Birmingham

United Express – 2 flights (jets) to Chicago (ORD), 1flight (jet) to Washington (IAD)

Northwest Airlink – 4 flights (jets) to Memphis

May 1998 AirTran discontinues service to Mobile
1999 ACA/United Express begins service (jets) to Chicago

ACA/United Express begins service (jets) to Washington, DC

Comair begins service (jets) Cincinnati

Northwest Airlink upgrades to all jets

March 15, 1999 AirTran and the Beau Rivage join to start service to/from Gulfport to six AirTran cities: Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Houston (HOU), Nashville (BNA), Ft. Lauderdale (FLL), Tampa (TPA) and AirTran's hub, Atlanta (ATL)
2000
2000 Continental Express upgrades all flights to jets

MRA Terminal
Mobile Regional Airport terminal building at night
Courtesy of MyShotz
March 2000 Northwest Airlink upgrades aircraft to regional jets
2001 US Airways Express begins service (jets) to Charlotte

ACA/United Express cuts flights to Dulles and Chicago O’Hare

Mobile Regional offers ground transportation after Capital Transportation leaves airport

November 6, 2001 AirTran begins service to Pensacola and terminates service to Fort Walton Beach
2002 SkyWest/DL Connection begins service (jets) Dallas

Awarded Small Community Air Service Development Grant for Station Services Program

July 1, 2003 Chautauqua/DL Connection begins service (jets) to Orlando
June 2005 American Eagle begins service with two daily flights (jets) to Dallas/Fort Worth
November, 2005 American Eagle adds a third flight to Dallas/Fort Worth

Continental Express adds two flights to Houston (6 total)

September, 2006 Delta restores Cincinnati service (1 flight)
October, 2006 M.C. Farmer Terminal / Mobile Regional Airport turned 20 years old
May 2006 AirTran re-starts service from Gulfport to Tampa and Fort Lauderdale, continues service to Atlanta; restores service to level held before Hurricane Katrina
April, 2007 American Eagle adds service to Chicago O’Hare (1 flight)
June, 2007 American Eagle adds a fourth flight to Dallas/Fort Worth
January, 2008 American Eagle removes the fourth flight to Dallas/Fort Worth due to a pilot strike
April, 2008 American Eagle reinstates the fourth flight to Dallas/Fort Worth
June, 2008 American Eagle adds a fifth flight to Dallas/Fort Worth

Delta upgrades two 50-seat jets to CR-9 (76 seats)

September, 2008 American Eagle removes the flight to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) due to price of fuel
October 6, 2008 William “Bill” B. Sisson is appointed Executive Director of the Mobile Airport Authority
November, 2008 American Eagle removes two flights (fourth and fifth) to Dallas/Fort Worth
June, 2009 Delta bring MD-88 mainline service back to Mobile

Delta adds an eighth and ninth flight to Atlanta

August, 2009 American Eagle reinstates fourth flight to Dallas Fort/Worth

Visit the Brookley Complex Web Site
Copyright © 2012 Mobile Airport Authority.
Website design by Dogwood Productions, Inc.