Salgado Filho was originally called São João Federal Airport, after the neighborhood where it is located. In the beginning it was an air club, where the first flights landed on May 31, 1923. In 1932, needing a facility to use its aircraft with landing-gear which were replacing its seaplanes, Varig started using São João Airport as its operational base. However, it was only in 1940 that the first passenger terminal was commissioned. On October 12, 1951, São João Federal Airport was renamed Salgado Filho Airport, after the Senator and Minister who died the year before on a crash involving a SAVAG aircraft that departed from Porto Alegre. In 1953 the old terminal was incorporated into the maintenance facilities of Varig, a new passenger terminal was opened, and runways were paved. Until that year larger aircraft such as Lockheed L-049 Constellations had to land at Canoas Air Force Base. This new terminal is known today as Passenger Terminal 2. It underwent major renovations and enlargements between 1969 and 1971 but unable to cope with the increasing traffic, another brand new facility was built. This new facility was named Passenger Terminal 1 and opened on September 11, 2001. Terminal 2 became underused by general aviation and cargo services. However, in order to cope with the increasing passenger traffic at the airport, on September 8, 2010 a decision was made to renovate Terminal 2 and bring it back into passenger use. It became operational on December 4, 2010. This terminal 2 was again closed for air traffic on September 15, 2019 and it became the administration center of Fraport Brasil S.A.- Aeroporto de Porto Alegre. Previously operated by Infraero, in January 2018, the airport's operations and administration were taken over by the German private airport operator Fraport, which in the previous year had been the winning bidder in an auction conducted by the Brazilian government for the concession of the airport for 25 years. The total area of the Salgado Filho Airport is about with of ramp area. Terminal 1 has and 16 gates with jetways. Terminal 2 has. In front of Terminal 1 there is a carpark with 1,440 places. Terminal 1 is the first facility in Latin America with a shopping mall. One of the two TAP Maintenance & Engineering centers in Brazil is located at Salgado Filho International Airport.
February 28, 1942: a Varig Junkers Ju 52/3m registration PP-VAL crashed shortly after take-off from Porto Alegre. Seven of the 23 occupants died, including 2 crew members.
August 2, 1949: a Varig Curtiss C-46AD-10-CU Commando registration PP-VBI operating a flight from São Paulo-Congonhas Airport to Porto Alegre made an emergency landing on rough terrain near the location of Jaquirana, approximately 20 minutes before landing in Porto Alegre, following fire on the cargo hold. Of the 36 passenger and crew aboard, 5 died.
June 30, 1950: a SAVAG Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar registration PP-SAA, flying from Porto Alegre to São Borja in bad weather collided against a hill, caught fire and crashed near the location of São Francisco de Assis. All 10 occupants died, including the founder of SAVAG and pilot, Gustavo Kraemer, and :pt:Joaquim Pedro Salgado Filho|Joaquim Pedro Salgado Filho, senator and first Minister of Air Force in Brazil.
October 18, 1957: a Varig Douglas C-47A-80-DL registration PP-VCS operating a cargo flight from Porto Alegre crashed upon take-off. The crew of two died.
May 30, 1972: a Varig Lockheed L-188 Electra registration PP-VJL operating a flight between São Paulo-Congonhas to Porto Alegre was hijacked. The hijacker demanded money. The aircraft was stormed and the hijacker shot.
