The City of El Paso built the first El Paso Municipal Airport near the east side of the Franklin Mountains in 1928.
 The airport was closed by 1945 and in more recent times has been home to the Jobe Concrete Products "Planeport" cement factory.

In 1934 Varney Speed Lines (now United Airlines) operated at the original El Paso Municipal Airport (now closed).
 The original El Paso Municipal Airport construction was inspired by a visit from Charles Lindbergh.

What became today's El Paso International Airport was built as Standard Airport by Standard Airlines in 1929 for transcontinental air mail service.
 Standard Airlines became a division of American Airlines in the 1930s.
 In 1936 American Airlines "swapped" airports with the City of El Paso and El Paso International Airport was born.

During World War II, the airport was a United States Army Air Forces training base.
 Units which trained at El Paso Army Airfield were:
385th Bombardment Group (Heavy) (B-17 Flying Fortress) December 21, 1942 – February 1, 1943
Served with the 8th Air Force in England.

491st Bombardment Group (Heavy) (B-24 Liberator) November 11, 1943 – January 1, 1944
Served with the 8th Air Force in England.

497th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) (B-29 Superfortress) November 20–December 1, 1943
Served with the 20th Air Force at Saipan.

On August 3, 1961, El Paso was the last stop of the first major US hijacking of a jetliner, a Boeing 707 owned by Continental Airlines.

An expansion that tripled the size of the terminal occurred in 1971.
A new structure for ticketing and bag claim was built in front of the old terminal and two passenger concourses were built behind the old terminal, retaining the old terminal in the middle, the outline of which can still be recognized today.
It was designed by Garland & Hilles.

Serving general aviation at El Paso International Airport, Cutter Aviation established a fixed-base operation in 1982.
 Cutter Aviation moved to a new facility on Shuttle Columbia Drive in 2006.
 Atlantic Aviation also serves general aviation at ELP.
The City of El Paso built the first El Paso Municipal Airport near the east side of the Franklin Mountains in 1928.  The airport was closed by 1945 and in more recent times has been home to the Jobe Concrete Products "Planeport" cement factory.
In 1934 Varney Speed Lines (now United Airlines) operated at the original El Paso Municipal Airport (now closed).  The original El Paso Municipal Airport construction was inspired by a visit from Charles Lindbergh.
What became today's El Paso International Airport was built as Standard Airport by Standard Airlines in 1929 for transcontinental air mail service.  Standard Airlines became a division of American Airlines in the 1930s.  In 1936 American Airlines "swapped" airports with the City of El Paso and El Paso International Airport was born.
During World War II, the airport was a United States Army Air Forces training base.  Units which trained at El Paso Army Airfield were:
385th Bombardment Group (Heavy) (B-17 Flying Fortress) December 21, 1942 – February 1, 1943
Served with the 8th Air Force in England.
491st Bombardment Group (Heavy) (B-24 Liberator) November 11, 1943 – January 1, 1944
Served with the 8th Air Force in England.
497th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) (B-29 Superfortress) November 20–December 1, 1943
Served with the 20th Air Force at Saipan.
On August 3, 1961, El Paso was the last stop of the first major US hijacking of a jetliner, a Boeing 707 owned by Continental Airlines.
An expansion that tripled the size of the terminal occurred in 1971. A new structure for ticketing and bag claim was built in front of the old terminal and two passenger concourses were built behind the old terminal, retaining the old terminal in the middle, the outline of which can still be recognized today. It was designed by Garland & Hilles.
Serving general aviation at El Paso International Airport, Cutter Aviation established a fixed-base operation in 1982.  Cutter Aviation moved to a new facility on Shuttle Columbia Drive in 2006.  Atlantic Aviation also serves general aviation at ELP.
El Paso International Airport