The airport has a control tower and has both a 9,618-by-150-foot (2,932 m × 46 m) runway and a 7,800-by-150-foot (2,377 m × 46 m) runway. Various instrument approaches to all runways are available, including an on-site VORTAC and instrument landing system (ILS). The complex is served by a 24-hour fixed-base operator, Signature Flight Services.
Starting in late 2018, the Mobile Airport Authority began renovating an underutilized building partially occupied by Airbus into a low cost carrier passenger airport facility called Terminal 1. Since its opening on May 1, 2019, Terminal 1 has housed two boarding gates and five ticket counters. Frontier Airlines Flight 410 from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport was the first scheduled revenue flight, arriving at the facility on May 1. In the summer of 2019, the authority plans to take over the remaining space in the building to completely build out Terminal 1. After this build-out, Terminal 1 will have four gates and additional holding and concession space. The total square footage will be around 50,000 square feet.[5]
Terminal 1 is located at the southern terminus of Michigan Avenue in the Brookley complex, less than a mile south of Interstate 10.
Operations
For the 12-month period ending October 31, 2023, the airport had 21,276 aircraft operations, an average of 68 per day: 53% military, 30% general aviation, 9% air taxi, and 7% scheduled commercial. At that time there were 25 aircraft based at this airport: 16 single-engine, 2 multi-engine, 6 jet and 1 helicopter.[1]
Airlines and destinations
In 2018, the Mobile Airport Authority commissioned a study on whether to move passenger service to Mobile Downtown Airport from Mobile Regional Airport and announced ViaAir would start a route to Orlando in the spring.[6] In January 2019, Frontier Airlines announced new service to Denver and Chicago beginning in May 2019.[7] ViaAir announced they were ending most scheduled services network-wide, including at BFM, on May 23, 2019.[8] On January 7, 2020, Frontier announced it would suspend all service to BFM, leaving the airport with no commercial passenger service.[9] However, on April 13, 2020, Frontier announced it would stay at the Downtown Airport and commence service to Orlando.[10] On June 4, 2020, it was announced that Frontier had ceased all operations at BFM.
In August 2020 it was announced that Mobile airport authority will shift commercial airline flights to the more convenient downtown airport. Following two years of study, the Mobile Airport Authority has unveiled a master plan that calls for all commercial air service to move to the centrally-located Mobile Downtown (BFM) from Mobile Regional (MOB) airport in the next few years. A new airline terminal at the Downtown facility would feature eight gates and be located adjacent to Interstate 10 that runs through the city.
The move would make the airport more convenient to flyers, encouraging more airlines to add service thus lowering airfares, the airport authority says.[11]
On March 7, 2023, Avelo Airlines announced twice weekly service to Orlando.[12] The service was suspended indefinitely beginning March 4, 2024.
On January 24, 2024, Breeze Airways announced twice weekly service to Orlando.
Destinations from Mobile International Airport Red = Year-round destination Green = Seasonal destination Blue = Future destination Black = Cargo destination
Accidents and incidents near BFM
On May 3, 1943, a USAAF Douglas C-53 Skytrooper, a version of the Douglas C-47 Skytrain crashed into Mobile Bay after takeoff, 0.5 miles S of then Mobile-Brookley AAF (BFM). Number of occupants/fatalities unknown.[15]
On April 4, 1952, a mid-air collision occurred at night between a Douglas C-124 Globemaster II and a Douglas C-47 Skytrain 9km N of Mobile-Brookley AFB. Both aircraft spun down, crashing on top of parked railroad box cars and bursting into flames. Six occupants died on the Globemaster and 9 occupants on the Skytrain were killed.[16][17]
