Construction started after plans for the airport was approved in April 2011. The total cost of construction is 1.58 billion yuan (US$255 million). The airport officially opened on 16 September 2013. The first flight was Air China flight 4215 on an Airbus A319. The flight came from Chengdu. It carried 118 passengers. The opening of the airport reduces the time needed to travel from Daocheng and Chengdu to one hour. This journey used to take two days by bus.