Brownsville/South Padre Island International
BRO · KBRO · Brownsville, Texas · Cameron County · map
Brownsville/South Padre Island International is a public-use airport owned by the City of Brownsville, 4 miles east of Brownsville, Texas, 22 feet above sea level. It has 2 runways; the longest, 13/31, is 7,399 feet of asphalt. It has a control tower, fuel (100LL avgas, Jet A) and about 45 general-aviation aircraft based on the field by the FAA's count. The FAA counts about 25,904 takeoffs and landings a year. About 192,941 passengers boarded flights here in the FAA's fiscal year 2024.
Quick answers answers refresh every morning
What is the airport code for Brownsville/South Padre Island International?
Its FAA code is BRO, and its ICAO code is KBRO.
Where is Brownsville/South Padre Island International?
It is 4 miles east of Brownsville, Texas, 22 feet above sea level.
How long is the longest runway at Brownsville/South Padre Island International?
The longest of its 2 runways, 13/31, is 7,399 feet long.
Does Brownsville/South Padre Island International have a control tower?
Yes, it has a control tower.
What fuel can you buy at Brownsville/South Padre Island International?
The FAA's airport file lists 100LL avgas, Jet A.
Where can you fly nonstop from Brownsville/South Padre Island International?
Airline flights go to 8 airports, the busiest of them George Bush Intcntl/Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth International, Orlando International, Los Angeles International, Hermosillo. Every route
Where are the nearest FAA examiners to Brownsville/South Padre Island International?
1 pilot examiner and 3 aviation medical examiners work within 50 nautical miles. See them by name
Weather and planning now, the forecast, warnings, pilot reports, winds aloft, restrictions
Fetching the weather now, the forecast, the warnings in force, pilot reports and the winds aloft for Brownsville/South Padre Island International…
Wind map live wind over the area, from Windy.com
Colours show wind speed, the moving lines its direction; drag the time bar for the coming days. Map and forecast by Windy.com.
The airport facts, runways, radio, fuel and services, the FAA's remarks
The airport
- Codes
- FAA BRO · ICAO KBRO
- Kind
- Airport · open to the public · publicly owned
- Owner
- City of Brownsville
- Elevation
- 22 feet above sea level
- Control tower
- A control tower · 6:00 am to 12:00 am
- Attended
- around the clock
- Lights
- runway lights see the remarks below; beacon sunset to sunrise
- Fuel and services
- 100LL avgas, Jet A; the services card below
- Notes
- landing fee · customs available · certified for airline service (Part 139)
- On the chart
- Brownsville sectional
- Magnetic variation
- 3E
- In the FAA's files since
- September 1937
Runways 2
For understanding the field, not for navigation.
| Runway | Length × width | Surface | Lights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13/31 | 7,399 × 150 ft | Asphalt, good | High-intensity lights |
| 18/36 | 6,000 × 150 ft | Asphalt, fair | Medium-intensity lights |
- Runway 13: ILS with DME, medium-intensity approach lights with runway alignment lights (MALSR), tree 31 ft high 1,224 ft from the end
- Runway 31: PAPI, four lights on the left, tree 24 ft high 751 ft from the end
- Runway 18: PAPI, four lights on the left, threshold displaced 190 ft, 5,810 ft available for landing, tree 37 ft high 722 ft from the end
- Runway 36: VASI, four boxes on the left, 5,532 ft available for landing, tree 30 ft high 660 ft from the end
Radio frequencies
| Common traffic advisory (CTAF) · Tower | 118.9 | Brownsville |
| UNICOM | 122.95 | |
| ATIS (recorded airport information) · Bro and automated weather (ASOS) | 128.55 | Brownsville |
| Ground | 121.9 | Brownsville |
| Approach and departure | 119.5 | Brownsville |
| Emergency | 121.5 | Brownsville |
| Brownsville and rco | 122.3 | Brownsville |
Automated weather (ASOS), by phone 956-299-5871.
Fuel and services as reported to the FAA
- Fuel
- 100LL avgas, Jet A
- Repairs
- airframe and engine: major repairs
- Parking
- hangars, tie-downs
- Oxygen
- bottled oxygen (high-pressure), bulk oxygen (high-pressure)
- Also here
- air freight, avionics, cargo handling, charter flights, flight instruction, aircraft rental, aircraft sales
- Notes
- customs available · landing fee charged
Other fields with jet fuel nearby: Cameron County (16 nm north), Valley International (23 nm northwest), Mid Valley International (34 nm northwest).
The FAA's file records what is sold and done at the field, as the airport manager reports it, not who sells it or the price; fuel sellers (FBOs) are not named in any public file. Airports selling jet fuel in Texas · avgas.
The FAA's remarks as written in the airport file, spelled out
- Flight notification service (adcus) available.
- Dusk to dawn. When the control tower closed activate approach lights (MALSR) runway 13 - the common traffic frequency.
- Interim director of aviation.
- Lighted oil derricks lctn approximately 5 NM northeast maximum 500 feet above ground level.
- Birds on and in the vicinity of airport.
- Txy J north of txy H open to traffic under 12500 pounds.
Flights and activity in the air now, the airlines, based aircraft, takeoffs and landings
Activity now checking the volunteer receiver network…
Within ten miles
- Looking…
Arrivals and departures, last hour
- Looking…
From the volunteer receiver network, a few minutes behind at most; aircraft whose owners asked the FAA not to be displayed are left out; no person is named. Open the live map here.
Scheduled and charter flights from here the DOT's airline reports · August 2025 to July 2026
Airlines reported 2,883 departures from BRO in those twelve months, carrying 138,481 passengers in 179,922 seats (77% filled), to 25 destinations (5 abroad) on 16 airlines.
All 25 destinations, the airlines and the aircraft, month by month
From the Bureau of Transportation Statistics' T-100 table: every segment an airline reported flying, three months in arrears. Private, business and training flights are not in it; the live picture is in the activity card.
Based aircraft as counted for the FAA, fiscal year 2024
Based aircraft, as a table
| aircraft | |
|---|---|
| single-engine | 33 |
| multi-engine | 8 |
| jets | 4 |
The FAA's count is the general-aviation aircraft kept on the field (singles, twins, business jets, helicopters) from its Terminal Area Forecast, the latest year with an actual count; airline fleets are never counted as based anywhere, so a big airline airport shows a small number. The register section below shows how many aircraft are registered to owners in town, a different measure again.
Takeoffs and landings a year about 25,904, the FAA's fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024)
Takeoffs and landings, as a table
| a year | |
|---|---|
| airline | 4,535 |
| air taxi and commuter | 3,937 |
| general aviation, travelling | 11,049 |
| general aviation, local | 2,863 |
| military | 3,520 |
Local flights stay in the traffic pattern or nearby, often practice; travelling flights arrive from or leave for somewhere else. Counts at airports without a tower are the FAA's estimates. How this compares nationally: Airports by the numbers.
Who flies and works here aircraft registered in town, the companies, the examiners nearby
Aircraft registered in Brownsville from the FAA register
49 aircraft are registered to owners in Brownsville, Texas: 36 piston singles, 6 piston twins, 4 business jets, 2 turboprops, 1 airliner. Not every one of them is based at this airport; the based-aircraft count above is the FAA's figure for this airport alone.
Companies and organisations in town with two or more aircraft:
Individuals are counted, not named (the site's policy at this time). All aircraft registered in Texas.
Who works here from the FAA's certificate lists and the register
Repair stations in Brownsville:
Companies in the same town as this airport, and schools within about 15 miles of it (each placed at the main public airport of its town, or at the town's centre); not every one of them works from this field. All operators · all repair stations · all flight schools · all FBOs.
Examiners and inspectors nearby designated by the FAA · within 50 nautical miles
1 pilot examiner (the FAA's designated pilot examiners, who give the practical tests for pilot certificates) is based within 50 nautical miles: 1 for private pilot, 1 for commercial and instrument, 1 for flight instructor; 1 for airplanes. Also nearby: 1 sport aviation examiner, 3 aviation medical examiners, 2 mechanic examiners, 1 airworthiness representative (manufacturing), 3 training center examiners.
- Brian David Childs private pilot, commercial and instrument, flight instructor, instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes · Gulf Aviation · Harlingen, TX (23 nm) · (956) 247-9464 · [email protected]
All 11 nearby, by kind, with contact details
What each kind does
- DPE: Designated Pilot Examiner: gives the practical tests (checkrides) for pilot certificates and ratings.
- SAE: Sport Aviation Examiner: gives the tests for sport pilot certificates and light-sport aircraft.
- AME: Aviation Medical Examiner: a doctor who issues the medical certificates pilots must hold.
- DME: Designated Mechanic Examiner: tests candidates for the mechanic certificate (airframe and powerplant).
- DAR-F: Designated Airworthiness Representative, manufacturing: issues airworthiness certificates for newly built aircraft and parts.
- DCTO-E: Designee at a certificated training organisation.
Designees are listed with the name and contact details the FAA publishes for them on its designee locator (read October 10, 2026): the FAA lists them so that pilots, mechanics and companies can find them. Private individuals are not named, the site's policy at this time. A designee who would rather not appear here can ask us through the contact address on the About page. Each designee is placed at the main public airport of the town the FAA lists (or the nearest one to its zip code), so "nearby" means the town, not an exact address. All examiners by state.
Safety record the NTSB's cases at or near this airport
Accidents and incidents at or near this airport NTSB records · 18 since 1982, 2 fatal
Cases the NTSB recorded with this as the nearest airport, newest first. Each opens the full report in plain English. The country as a whole: Where accidents happen.
Nearby within 30 nautical miles
Connections how this airport links to the rest of the register
- Aircraft registered in Brownsville 49 aircraft · 36 piston singles, 6 piston twins, 4 business jets
- Southmost Aviation INC 2 aircraft in town
- Cv-580 LLC · repair station
- George Bush Intcntl/Houston (IAH) 1,432 flights in twelve months · CommuteAir LLC dba CommuteAir, Mesa Airlines Inc.
- Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW) 1,384 flights in twelve months · Envoy Air, SkyWest Airlines Inc.
- Orlando International (MCO) 23 flights in twelve months · Breeze Aviation Group DBA Breeze
- Los Angeles International (LAX) 10 flights in twelve months · Alaska Airlines Inc., Global Crossing Airlines, Inc.
- Hermosillo (HMO) 5 flights in twelve months · USA Jet Airlines Inc., Gulf And Caribbean Cargo
- Willow Run (YIP) 4 flights in twelve months · USA Jet Airlines Inc., Ameristar Air Cargo
- MC Allen International (MFE) 3 flights in twelve months · American Airlines Inc., CommuteAir LLC dba CommuteAir
- Abilene Regional (ABI) 2 flights in twelve months · Envoy Air
- NTSB accidents and incidents at or near this airport 18 since 1982 · 2 fatal
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,235 since 1982 · 1,056 in the last ten years
- Nearby landing places within 30 nautical miles 8 airports, heliports and seaplane bases
- Public-use airports in Texas 393 landing places
- Texas 29,943 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/airport/BRO.json.
Facts from the FAA's airport file effective October 29, 2026, written out in plain English; weather from the National Weather Service's aviation weather service; registered aircraft from the FAA register as of October 29, 2026; accidents from the NTSB's public database. Owners are shown only when they are an organisation; no person is named. Check the official sources before a flight: this page is for understanding an airport, not for planning one.