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SDM · medium airport

Brown Field Municipal Airport

San Diego, United States

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Airports
SDMmedium airport

Brown Field Municipal Airport

San Diego, United States
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Routes out
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Destinations
KSDM
ICAO
526 ft
Elevation
TravelerPulse profile

San Diego's southern general aviation gateway near the border.

Opened
1943
Location
San Diego, United States
Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM/KSDM) is a public general aviation airport located in the Otay Mesa district of San Diego, California, approximately 1.5 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. It is owned and operated by the City of San Diego and serves primarily as a reliever airport for San Diego International Airport. The airport has a long history rooted in military use, originally established as a U.S. Navy facility during World War II. Today it supports general aviation, flight training, cargo operations, and serves as an important facility for U.S. Customs and Border Protection due to its proximity to the international border. Brown Field features two runways and is equipped with instrument approach capabilities. Its location near the border makes it a common entry point for international general aviation flights arriving from Mexico.
Terminals
Brown Field has no commercial passenger terminal; it serves general aviation operators through fixed-base operators (FBOs) on the field.
Getting to & from
The airport is accessible primarily by private vehicle via Otay Mesa Road, with limited public transit options connecting to broader San Diego Metro services.
Airlines here
No scheduled commercial airlines operate at Brown Field; the airport is dedicated to general aviation, cargo, and flight training operations.
Notable facts
  • ›Originally established as a U.S. Navy airfield during World War II.
  • ›Located approximately 1.5 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border in Otay Mesa.
  • ›Serves as a reliever airport for San Diego International Airport (SAN).
  • ›U.S. Customs and Border Protection maintains a presence at the airport for international general aviation arrivals.
  • ›The airport is named after Melville S. Brown, a pioneering early aviator.
Official website Wikipedia
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Brown Field Municipal Airport
Encyclopaedia

Brown Field Municipal Airport is in the Otay Mesa neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States, 13 miles (21 km) southeast of downtown San Diego and named in honor of Commander Melville S. Brown, USN, who was killed in an airplane crash in 1936. Its main runway is 7,972 feet (2,430 m) long. Its FAA/IATA airport code is SDM. Formerly Naval Auxiliary Air Station Brown Field, it is now a civilian reliever airport and a port of entry from Mexico. It is sometimes staffed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, but only upon request of incoming pilots to the Federal Aviation Administration. The development plans for the SDM airport have been announced on 4th Oct 2022, the development will occur in phases over 20 years. The plans include a new FBO terminal building and individual airplane hangars. There is also talk of adding a million square feet of retail and industrial buildings and possibly a hotel. Brown Field is also home to Chapter 14 of the Experimental Aircraft Association, and regularly hosts free Young Eagles events to introduce children to aviation.

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