20th century

Bradley International Airport originated in 1940 when the state of Connecticut acquired 1,700 acres of land in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. In 1941, the land was transferred to the U.S. Army, as the United States began preparing for World War II.

The airfield was named for Lt. Eugene M. Bradley, a 24-year old pilot assigned to the 64th Pursuit Squadron, who died on August 21, 1941, when his P-40 crashed during a dogfight training drill.

The airfield began civilian operations in 1947 as Bradley International Airport, Eastern Air Lines operating the first commercial flight. International cargo operations also began that year. By the late 1940s several airlines, including American Airlines and United Airlines, had transferred service from Hartford-Brainard Airport to Bradley. During the 1950s and 1960s, additional carriers: Northeast Airlines, Mohawk Airlines, TWA, and Allegheny Airlines expanded service at the airport, helping Bradley become the primary commercial airport for the Hartford, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts region. The construction of Interstate 91 improved access between the airport and both cities.

In 1948, the federal government transferred ownership of the airport to the state of Connecticut for public and commercial use.

Passenger traffic grew rapidly during the postwar period, exceeding 100,000 annual passengers in 1950 and 500,000 by 1960.

In 1952, the Murphy Terminal opened. Later designated Terminal B, it remained in use until its closure in 2010.

In 1971, the Murphy Terminal was expanded with an International Arrivals wing. Instrument Landing Systems were installed on two runways in 1977.

Construction began in 1974 on an experimental People Mover connecting the main passenger terminal with a remote parking lot. The system was completed in 1975 but was never placed into service because of the high operating cost and limited parking demand. It was dismantled in 1984 to make way for a new terminal building, Terminal A. The vehicles were later preserved by the Connecticut Trolley Museum in East Windsor, Connecticut.

In 1979, the Windsor Locks tornado struck the eastern portions of the airport, causing severe damage to the New England Air Museum. The museum reopened in 1981.

Terminal A and the Bradley Sheraton Hotel were completed in 1986. Around the same time, the Roncari cargo terminal was also constructed.

21st century

In 2001, Bradley international Airport began a major terminal improvement project that included expansion of Terminal A, construction of a new internationals arrival facility, and centralized passenger screening. The project was intended to modernize the airport and improve passenger capacity. The new East Concourse, designed by HNTB, opened in September 2002.

In December 2002, a new International Arrivals Building opened west of the Murphy Terminal, The facility includes a Federal Inspection Station operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Federal Inspection Station can process international arrivals from aircraft as large as a Boeing 747. International arrivals from airports without customs preclearance are processed through the facility.

In July 2007, Northwest Airlines launched nonstop service between Bradley and Amsterdam, the airport's first direct route to Europe. The service ended in October 2008 due to rising fuel costs.

In 2008, Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer selected Bradley as its Executive Jet Maintenance center for the Northeastern United States. The facility opened the same year, temporarily closed during the economic downturn, and reopened in 2011.

On October 21, 2015, Bradley and Aer Lingus announced the return of transatlantic with nonstop flights to Dublin. Service began on September 28, 2016. The route was temporarily suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic before resuming in March 2023. The route is currently operated on a A321LR. The route provides onward connections via Dublin to 28 destinations in the United Kingdom and Europe including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, London, Madrid, Prague, Rome, and Vienna.

In 2016, an Escape Lounge opened in the East Concourse of Terminal A, near Gates 1–12. The lounge closed in July 2025 for renovation and reopened in February 2026 following an expansion that increased seating capacity and food and beverage offerings, and operating hours.

In 2016, the airport completed demolition of the Murphy Terminal, which had formerly been designated as Terminal B. The International Arrivals Building was subsequently designated as Terminal B.

In 2017, Norwegian Air Shuttle began low-cost transatlantic service from Bradley to Edinburgh using Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The service ended in March 2018 due to delays in a Scottish tax reduction.

In February 2022, Breeze Airways announced plans to establish an operating base at Bradley International Airport and expand service to multiple domestic destinations.