Departure
96%
vs 95% ▲ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Mobile Downtown Airport (KBFM), also styled Mobile International Airport, sits within the Brookley Aeroplex industrial complex a few miles south of downtown Mobile, Alabama, on the site of the former Brookley Army Airfield. It offers a control tower, an ILS approach, and two long hard runways that make it a straightforward and interesting destination for simulator pilots exploring the Gulf Coast.
Mobile Downtown Airport, known officially as KBFM and increasingly referred to as Mobile International Airport, is a public airport operated by the Mobile Airport Authority within the Brookley Aeroplex, a large industrial complex south of downtown Mobile, Alabama. It began life as Brookley Army Airfield and later Brookley Air Force Base before civilian use took over in 1969, and it remains notable for its very long runways, an on-site ILS and VORTAC, and its evolving role as Mobile's future primary passenger airport, all of which make it a worthwhile and characterful stop for a VFR sim pilot in the region.
The airport lies about three nautical miles south of Mobile's central business district, within the Brookley Aeroplex complex, an industrial site covering over 1,600 acres. It sits close to Mobile Bay and to Interstate 10, which runs adjacent to the aerodrome. Mobile Downtown operates with a control tower, placing it within controlled airspace during tower hours, and it is one of two airports serving the Mobile area alongside Mobile Regional Airport to the west.
The airfield has two physical runway pairs, both hard-surfaced and lit. Runway 14/32 is the longer, at 9,616 to 9,617 feet, with an ILS available on runway 32. Runway 18/36 measures 7,803 feet in each direction. Field elevation is 23 feet.
Air/ground and approach services are provided on 118.5 MHz, with ATIS on 135.575 MHz. The tower, referred to as Downtown Tower, operates on 118.8 MHz, which also serves as the CTAF; ground control is on 121.7 MHz. UNICOM is available on 122.95 MHz. A VOR facility, Anniston RDO, is associated with 112.8 MHz. An instrument landing system serves runway 32, and the airport also has an on-site VORTAC supporting various instrument approaches to all runways.
Mobile Downtown Airport traces its origins to Brookley Army Airfield, established during the Second World War, when the site played a significant role in military aviation and aircraft maintenance. The airfield continued as Brookley Air Force Base until the military departed in 1969, after which the site transitioned to civilian and industrial use as the Brookley Aeroplex. The airport was later renamed Mobile International Airport by the Mobile Airport Authority to reflect its growing ambitions, including plans for expanded international passenger and cargo service.
The airport is served by a 24-hour fixed-base operator, Signature Flight Services, and features a control tower, an on-site VORTAC and ILS supporting instrument approaches to all runways. Passenger service has been intermittent in recent years: Frontier Airlines, ViaAir, Avelo Airlines and Breeze Airways have each operated scheduled flights from the airport at various points, though services have been suspended repeatedly, most recently with Breeze ending its Orlando route in January 2025. Cargo operations continue with carriers including Amazon Air and FedEx Express. The Mobile Airport Authority has a master plan to relocate all commercial air service from Mobile Regional Airport to Mobile Downtown, with a new terminal and parking garage slated to open around 2025, which would make this the city's principal commercial gateway in addition to its established general aviation and cargo role.
