Early proposals and construction (1910s–1930s)

The idea of an airport near Stockholm was first proposed in 1918 by Enoch Thulin, one of Sweden's leading aviation pioneers. Thulin suggested the establishment of an airport close to the capital city, as the existing airfield at Barkarby was considered too far from Stockholm. At that time, commercial aviation in Stockholm operated from Lindarängen seaplane station.

Elsewhere in Sweden, by 1923, airfields had been inaugurated at Bulltofta in Malmö and Torslanda in Gothenburg. Stockholm City Council subsequently launched an investigation exploring locations for a new city airport, including Årstafältet and Skarpnäck. Eventually, Riksby, a rural location to the west of the city, was deemed suitable for the new airport. Prior to this airport, the first airfield close to Stockholm was located at Norrtälje.

Construction of the new airport at Riksby began in 1933. The site partially included old marshland from an ancient lakebed. This marshy ground continues to affect the runway today, creating a dip in the runway. The airport was originally constructed with four intersecting runways measuring 2,024m, 1,411m 1,219m, and 969m in length. Only one runway remains in use.

Beams from the old Traneberg Bridge were reused in the construction of Bromma's first hangar. Both the replacement Traneberg Bridge and Bromma Airport's buildings were designed by the same architect, Paul Hedqvist.

Inauguration and World War Two (1930s–1940s)

Stockholm Bromma Airport was officially opened on 23 May 1936 by King Gustaf V. The following summer nearly 100,000 people visited the airport. Notably, it was the first airport in Europe to feature paved runways from its inception. Its first operator, AB Aerotransport, began regular flights in 1937 to Malmö where Bulltofta Airport already was established. Postal night flights also began that year. By 1937, KLM had begun landing its DC-3 aircraft at Bromma.

During World War II, Swedish and British aircraft operated flights between Stockholm Bromma and the United Kingdom. These flights often carried Norwegian and Danish refugees, making the airport a target of interest for German spies. Consequently, two Swedish Douglas DC-3 aircraft, which had taken off from Bromma, were shot down by German forces during the war.

Post-War (1940s–1960s)

After the war, Stockholm Bromma Airport experienced growth, with two major airlines operating from the airport: Aktiebolaget Aerotransport (ABA), which later became the Swedish partner in Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), and Linjeflyg, the main domestic airline in Sweden that was eventually acquired by SAS.

Opening of Arlanda Airport (1960s–1980s)

By the 1960s, Bromma's runway proved too short for the emerging jet age and intercontinental traffic, such as the DC-8. Additionally, the airport's capacity limitations became apparent. Originally built in a rural area, the airport found itself surrounded by an expanding city.

With the opening of Stockholm Arlanda Airport in 1962, all international traffic was transferred from Bromma Airport. In 1984, Linjeflyg and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) also relocated their domestic operations from Bromma to Arlanda. Stockholm Bromma Airport then became primarily used for business jets, general aviation, flight schools, and government purposes. In 1984 several old hangars were repurposed as Bromma Blocks, a retail park. In 1988, SAS moved its headquarters away from Bromma.

Deregulated civil aviation and renewed activity (1990s–2024)

Following the 1992 deregulation of civil aviation in Sweden, Malmö Aviation began service to Gothenburg, Malmö, and London City Airport. This marked a period of renewed activity for the airport. In 2002, a new control tower was put into use, and the terminal, which had deteriorated after years of neglect, was renovated. Further improvements in 2005 enabled the airport to separate passengers arriving from within and outside of the Schengen area.

In 2003, the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration, announced a bidding process for a contract to build a general aviation terminal for fixed-base operator (FBO) customers. Grafair won the contract and completed the FBO facility on 11 November 2004. The Grafair Jet Center was voted the third best international FBO in May 2008 by Aviation International News.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, all flights at Stockholm Bromma Airport were suspended. Braathens Regional Airlines (BRA), the main airline at Bromma, suspended all flights from 6 April 2020. BRA resumed limited operations in late 2020. On 16 May 2021, the Bromma Airport tram station was opened.

In the summer of 2024, Swedavia conducted runway maintenance at Stockholm Bromma Airport. During this period, BRA relocated its operations to Terminal 3 at Stockholm Arlanda Airport.

Commercial decline and future uncertainty (2024–present)

In September 2024, Braathens Regional Airlines announced it would cease operations at Stockholm Bromma Airport by the end of 2024 and relocate to Stockholm Arlanda Airport. The relocation is part of a seven-year contract with SAS, set to begin in 2025.