The Montes Claros Airport was officially inaugurated on December 18, 1939.
Panair do Brasil was the first airline to operate in the airport, with service to the cities of
Belo Horizonte,
Salvador, and
Recife commencing in 1942. In 1948, Nacional Serviços Aéreos commenced regular operations with daily flights between Montes Claros and Belo Horizonte, using
Douglas DC-3 aircraft with capacity for 24 passengers. In 1965,
VARIG took over the routes previously operated by Panair, using
AVRO aircraft with capacity for 40 passengers. In 1974, VARIG began using the
Boeing 737-200 jet aircraft for its Montes Claros routes, with a capacity for 109 passengers and over six tons of baggage and cargo. However, in 1977, due to the airport's inadequate infrastructure for the aircraft, operations were temporarily suspended. In 2003, the airport was officially renamed to Aeroporto de Montes Claros - Mário Ribeiro, in honour of Mário Ribeiro, a local doctor and politician who served as councilman, vice-mayor, and mayor of the city between 1989 and 1992. A sculpture in his honour was erected in front of the airport terminal in 2021. On October 31, 2004, VARIG operated its final flight at the airport. Previously operated by
Infraero, on August 18, 2022, the consortium
AENA won a 30-year concession to operate the airport. ==Airlines and destinations==