On April 23, 2014, the St. Joseph County Airport Authority announced the airport was changing its name from South Bend Regional Airport to South Bend International Airport. The Airport Authority has had conversations with two airlines interested in providing service to Mexico and the Bahamas and indicated that it was looking at potential service to Toronto, Ireland and Europe. As part of the change, the airport will begin a $3 million(USD) project to construct a general aviation facility and a border customs area, to be financed through a combination of federal, state and airport funds.
Allegiant Air announced in March 2008 interest in providing direct flights between South Bend and Cancún, Mexico. The airport authority told the public in a press release that now is the time to prepare for the service, not later, due to the time it will take to get the customs facility operational, which could be a few years. The 2009-2011 terminal renovation did not include a customs facility, nor did US Customs & Border Protection open an office at the airport until 2014. However, construction is now underway for a passenger customs facility that will be linked to Gate A9 via a walkway. This facility will open in 2016.