Civil aviation began in 1936 with the famous Pan Am China Clipper, stopping on Guam en route to its Far East destinations. Operations were disrupted by World War II, and resumed in 1946, with Airport operations delegated to the United States Navy. The Guam airport facility and runways were then known as the Naval Air Station (NAS) Brewer Field.
In July 1969, Public Law (P.L.) 10-97 delegated responsibility for all operations related to and connected to the Guam International Air Terminal (Terminal) to the Director of the Department of Commerce.
P.L. 13-57 created the Guam Airport Authority in September 1975. The Guam International Airport Authority was strictly the terminal facility operator while the U.S. Navy operated the runways and conducted airway operations for all aircraft operators.
In 1974, the Authority was granted joint use of the airfield under a Joint Use Agreement (J.U.A.) with the U.S. Navy.
In April 1995, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act of 1993 slated the NAS Brewer Field for closure. Upon base closure, all runways became the operating responsibility of the Authority. Furthermore, the Authority was certified as the licensed civil aviation airport operator for Guam.
In September 1996, the Authority and the U.S. Navy which granted to the Authority one thousand four hundred seventeen (1,417) acres of former NAS properties for aviation related purposes.