Harlingen Air Force Base closed in 1962; a 1961 budget by President John F. Kennedy proposed to close 70 air bases in the U.S., and the military airfield was turned over to the City of Harlingen and then converted to civil use as Harlingen Industrial Airport. In 1967, following Hurricane Beulah, the original Harlingen civil airport, Harlingen Municipal Airport/Harvey Richards Field (at 26.206°N 97.754°W / 26.206; -97.754, where the Harlingen Country Club is now located) was permanently closed due to wind and flood damage and all civil aviation operations shifted to Harlingen Industrial Airport.

The airport was later renamed Harlingen Regional Airport until it was renamed to its current name of Valley International Airport. Despite its closure as an active military installation, Valley International Airport still sees approximately 50% of its flight operations consisting of military aircraft. These are primarily U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy training aircraft originating from multiple Air Force bases and Naval Air Stations in southern and central Texas.

Past airline service

From 1947–48 to 1960, Trans-Texas Airways (TTa) Douglas DC-3s served Harlingen Air Force Base under a joint civil-military airport agreement; in 1960, Harvey Richards Field received a new 4900-ft runway, and TTa moved their operations there until the airline moved its flights back to the former air force base following Hurricane Beulah.

The first jet service into Harlingen was operated by Trans-Texas Airways with Douglas DC-9-10s at the end of 1967. In 1968, Trans-Texas DC-9s flew nonstop to Corpus Christi and Houston Hobby Airport as well as direct to Dallas Love Field, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee. Trans-Texas flights to Mexico started in 1967; in 1968, TTa Convair 600 turboprops flew nonstop to Monterrey, Mexico, and Tampico, Mexico, with one-stop service to Veracruz, Mexico. TTa Convair 600s also flew to Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Houston, Laredo, San Antonio and other Texas cities. Flights from Harlingen to Mexico ended in 1971–72. Trans-Texas Airways subsequently changed its name to Texas International Airlines and continued to serve Harlingen.

In 1978, all Texas International (TI) flights from the airport were operated with DC-9 jets with nonstops to Austin and Houston Intercontinental Airport; TI flew direct to Los Angeles (LAX) via Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Albuquerque. Texas International pulled out of HRL in 1979, but later merged with Continental Airlines which in turn began serving Harlingen. Continental then merged with United Airlines which continues to serve the airport at the present time via United Express with Canadair CRJ-700s operated by SkyWest Airlines.

Mainline jets operated into the airport in the past included American Airlines Boeing 727-100s and Boeing 727-200s, Braniff International Airways Boeing 727-200s and Continental Airlines Boeing 727-100s, Douglas DC-9-10s and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s. In 1982, Braniff 727s flew nonstop to Dallas/Fort Worth three times a day with continuing direct service to Chicago, Denver and Omaha In 1987, Continental was operating DC-9 nonstops to Houston (IAH) with continuing service to Baton Rouge, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Omaha. In 1989, American flew four nonstop 727-200s to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and one 727-200 nonstop to Houston (IAH) while Continental had three daily nonstops to Houston (IAH), one 727-100 and two DC-9-10s. By 1999, American Eagle ATR-72 turboprops had replaced American jets with nonstop service to Dallas/Fort Worth while Continental Express ATR-42 turboprops had replaced Continental jets with nonstop service to Houston Intercontinental.

Southwest Airlines began serving Harlingen as an intrastate airline in 1975 with Boeing 737-200 jets. Harlingen was the fourth new destination served by Southwest following its initial flights from Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport and San Antonio in 1971. In 1979, Southwest Boeing 727-200s and Boeing 737-200s served HRL. In 1986, Southwest was operating ten weekday 737 flights from the airport with seven nonstops to Houston Hobby Airport, two nonstops to San Antonio and one nonstop to Austin. In addition, eight flights a day operated by Southwest served Dallas Love Field on a direct one stop basis. Today, Southwest is the largest airline at HRL, accounting for approximately 62% of the airport's airline market share. Southwest currently serves Harlingen with Boeing 737-700, 737-800, and 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Mexicana de Aviacion Boeing 727-100s flew nonstop to Mexico City and to Monterrey.

Sun Country Airlines flew Boeing 727-200s and wide body McDonnell Douglas DC-10s into the airport from Minneapolis/St. Paul during winter months in the past and continues to serve Harlingen seasonally with Boeing 737-800s.

Delta Air Lines began seasonal Airbus A320 service to Harlingen in 2013 from its Minneapolis/St. Paul hub; Delta Connection also operated the route seasonally with Canadair CRJ-900 regional jets, but that service was suspended following the COVID-19 Pandemic.