Tucson opened the first municipally owned airport in the United States in 1919. Commercial air service began in Tucson with Standard Airlines (later American Airlines) in 1928. Regular airmail service started two years later. In 1948 the Tucson Airport Authority was created as a non-profit, quasi-public corporation to operate the airport. The airport moved to its current location and operated on the west ramp out of three hangars vacated by WWII military manufacturing companies. In 1963 a new terminal facility was completed, housing six airlines and an international inspection station, earning the title Tucson International Airport.

With more than 60% of airport operations attributed to general aviation activity, Tucson International is dedicated to the non-commercial pilot. TIA offers a FAA-operated control tower staffed around the clock, a thriving Fixed Base Operator (FBO) sector, executive terminal and is a U.S. Port of Entry with 24-hour U.S. Customs and Immigration services.