[3] Immediately after the aviation law of 1927, the Japanese Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications began planning for scheduled air routes including Tokyo to Dalian (Zhoushuizi).

[3] In 1973, the military Zhoushuizi airfield was converted into a small civil airport, with a 2,040-meter (6,693 ft)-long runway and 37 employees, serving 1,961 passengers a year.

Because of the expansion of the city of Dalian, the airport is now surrounded by built-up urban area and has no more room to grow even though it reached its capacity in 2016.

As a result, the authorities launched the new Dalian Jinzhouwan International Airport project, which was included in the 12th national five-year plan in 2011.

[5] In September 2011, a new 71,000 square-meter terminal building was completed as part of the 2.2 billion yuan third-phase expansion project of the airport.

On May 7, 2002, China Northern Airlines Flight 6136 was en route from Beijing to Dalian when an arsonist set the aircraft on fire, causing it to lose control and crash in Bohai Bay, killing everyone on board.