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The Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley, also known as the Brookley Aeroplex, is an industrial complex and airport in Mobile, Alabama, United States. It is located on the western shore of Mobile Bay and is owned and operated by the Mobile Airport Authority. The complex is home to many aerospace industries and features direct connections with Mobile Bay via its own docks, CSX railway, and with Interstate 10. The Brookley Aeroplex was first developed for aviation with the establishment of Bates Field in 1929, which was Mobile's first municipal airport. Today, the Brookley Aeroplex is the largest industrial and transportation complex in the region, covering approximately 1,650 acres and employing about 3,600 people across 70 companies.
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What You'll Learn
Brookley Airport's history
The Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley is an industrial complex and airport in Mobile, Alabama, United States, which lies adjacent to the western shore of Mobile Bay. The aeroplex was first developed for aviation with the establishment of Bates Field in 1929. The City of Mobile acquired the land from then-Mayor of Mobile, Cecil F. Bates, and it became Mobile's first municipal airport.
In 1938, the United States Army Air Corps purchased the airfield and established the Brookley Army Air Field, later renamed Brookley Air Force Base in 1948. During World War II, the base employed 17,000 civilians. After the war, Brookley AFB was used by the Air Materiel Command. In 1964, the Secretary of Defense announced the base's closure, widely believed to be political retaliation for Alabama voting for President Lyndon Johnson's opponent in the 1964 election. When Brookley officially closed in June 1969, nearly 10% of the local workforce lost their jobs, making it the largest base closure in US history at the time.
The Federal Government returned Brookley Field to the City of Mobile, which established the Mobile Airport Authority in 1972 to advise on and manage the site. The site was renamed the Brookley Complex in 1982, and a new terminal building was completed in 1986. The complex has since become an important aviation and industrial airport, home to many aerospace industries, including Airbus North America Engineering, Continental Motors, and ST Aerospace Mobile.
In 2012, Airbus selected the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley as the site of its first commercial aircraft production facility in the US. The complex is also a significant transportation hub, with direct connections to Mobile Bay, the CSX railway, and Interstate 10. In 2019, the Airport Authority opened a new mini-terminal at the Downtown Mobile Airport in the Brookley Aeroplex, serving airlines such as Frontier and ViaAir.
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The Mobile Aeroplex
The site was returned to the city after the base closure, and the Mobile Airport Authority was established in 1972 to advise on its management. The site was formally renamed the Brookley Complex in 1982, when the Alabama Legislature created the Mobile Airport Authority as an independent authority. A new terminal building was completed in 1986, and the authority began a campaign to attract the aviation and aerospace industries to Brookley.
The complex is the largest in the region, with approximately 70 companies employing about 3,600 people. Notable tenants include Airbus North America Engineering, Continental Motors, and ST Aerospace Mobile. ST Aerospace Mobile provides maintenance for several major airlines and FedEx Express uses the complex for cargo flights. The site covers 1,650 acres and features direct connections with Mobile Bay, CSX railway, and Interstate 10.
In 2019, a new mini-terminal was opened at the Downtown Mobile Airport within the Brookley Aeroplex, serving Frontier Airlines flights to Denver and Chicago. In 2020, Frontier announced the suspension of these flights but later reversed this decision, offering direct flights to Orlando International Airport. A new commercial airport is set to open at Brookley Aeroplex in 2025, with a five-gate terminal and parking garage currently under construction.
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Airlines and flights
The Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley is an industrial complex and airport in Mobile, Alabama, adjacent to the western shore of Mobile Bay. It is owned and operated by the Mobile Airport Authority, which was established in 1972 and formally created by the Alabama Legislature in 1982. The Mobile Aeroplex is the largest industrial and transportation complex in the region, with approximately 70 companies employing about 3,600 people.
A major component of the aeroplex is the Mobile Downtown Airport, a general aviation facility. In 2019, Frontier Airlines began offering nonstop flights from Mobile Downtown Airport to Denver and Chicago O'Hare, with three flights per week to Denver and two flights per week to Chicago. However, in 2020, Frontier Airlines suspended all scheduled flights to and from the Mobile Downtown Airport due to insufficient demand.
The Mobile Airport Authority announced in 2020 that Frontier would offer direct flights to Orlando International Airport, reversing the previous decision to end service to Mobile. In 2023, Avelo Airlines announced twice-weekly service to Orlando, but this service was suspended in 2024. Breeze Airways also announced twice-weekly service to Orlando in 2024 but suspended service to Mobile in 2025.
The Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley has a rich history in aviation. It was first developed for aviation with the establishment of Bates Field in 1929, which was Mobile's first municipal airport. In 1938, the United States Army Air Corps purchased the airfield and established the Brookley Army Air Field, later renamed the Brookley Air Force Base in 1948. The site was returned to the city after the base closure, and the Mobile Airport Authority was tasked with managing it.
FedEx Express uses the complex for three daily cargo flights from Memphis, Tennessee. Notable tenants at Brookley include Airbus North America Engineering, Continental Motors, and ST Aerospace Mobile, which provides maintenance services for Delta Air Lines, FedEx Express, American Airlines, and United Airlines. In 2012, Airbus announced plans for a $600 million factory at the Brookley Aeroplex for the assembly of the A319, A320, and A321 aircraft, with construction beginning in 2013.
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Terminals and facilities
The Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley is the largest industrial and transportation complex in the region, with around 70 companies employing about 3,600 people. Notable tenants include Airbus North America Engineering, Continental Motors, and ST Aerospace Mobile. The ST Aerospace Mobile facility provides maintenance for Delta Air Lines (Airbus A319/320), FedEx Express, American Airlines, and United Airlines. FedEx Express also operates three daily cargo flights from Memphis, Tennessee, to the complex.
The complex covers 1,650 acres and is home to many aerospace industries. It has direct connections with Mobile Bay via its docks, CSX railway, and Interstate 10. It is part of Mobile's Foreign Trade Zone 82, which offers special customs procedures.
The aeroplex was first developed for aviation with the creation of Bates Field in 1929. The City of Mobile acquired the land from then-Mayor Cecil F. Bates. Bates Field was Mobile's first municipal airport. The United States Army Air Corps purchased the airfield in 1938 and established the Brookley Army Air Field, later renamed Brookley Air Force Base in 1948. The name Bates Field was reused for a new municipal airport located 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Brookley, now known as the Mobile Regional Airport.
The site was returned to the city after the Brookley Air Force Base closed. The Mobile Airport Authority was established in 1972 to advise on the management of Brookley. The Alabama Legislature made it an independent authority in 1982, responsible for managing both Brookley and the Mobile Regional Airport. The site was renamed the Brookley Complex at this time, and a new terminal building was completed in 1986.
In 2010, the site was renamed the Brookley Aeroplex, and in 2013, it was rebranded as the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley. In 2019, the Mobile Airport Authority opened a new mini-terminal at the Downtown Mobile Airport in the Brookley Aeroplex, costing about $8 million. In 2025, a new commercial airport is set to open at Brookley Aeroplex, with a five-gate terminal and parking garage estimated to cost $350 million.
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Future developments
The Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley has a bright future ahead with several developments in the works.
Firstly, the Mobile Airport Authority is adding 100 acres on the eastern edges of the Brookley Aeroplex, with the aim of accommodating commercial aviation operations by 2025. This expansion includes the construction of a new five-gate terminal and parking garage within the Brookley Aeroplex, estimated to cost $350 million.
Secondly, there has been a recent 100-acre property swap involving the Mobile Airport Authority, the Mobile County Industrial Development Board, and the Alabama State Port Authority. The Mobile Airport Authority has acquired 100 acres near Mobile Bay, which will be used for the future terminal's location. In exchange, the Mobile County Industrial Development Board has received 100 acres of mostly wooded property within the 3,000 acres of Airport Authority property at the Mobile Regional Airport. The Alabama State Port Authority has also acquired approximately 43 acres within Brookley for around $5 million, with plans for future Port expansion.
Additionally, Brookley has continued to attract major aerospace companies. In 2012, Airbus announced plans to build a $600 million factory at the Brookley Aeroplex for the assembly of Airbus A319, A320, and A321 aircraft, employing up to 1,000 full-time workers. This factory became operational by 2015, and by 2017 it was producing 40 to 50 aircraft per year.
With these developments, the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley is poised to become an even larger and more important transportation and industrial hub in the region.
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Frequently asked questions
The Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley is an industrial complex and airport in Mobile, Alabama, United States. It is located adjacent to the western shore of Mobile Bay.
The aeroplex was first developed for aviation with the establishment of Bates Field in 1929, which was Mobile's first municipal airport. The United States Army Air Corps purchased the airfield in 1938 and established the Brookley Army Air Field, later renamed Brookley Air Force Base in 1948.
The Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley is the largest industrial and transportation complex in the region, with approximately 70 companies employing about 3600 people. It is home to many aerospace industries and features direct connections with Mobile Bay via its own docks, CSX railway, and with Interstate 10.
