It was authorized to become a C-class airport under the direct supervision of the Civil Aeronautics Administration, Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Executive Yuan.

With the direct Cross-Strait flights between mainland China and Taiwan being expensive compared to domestic fares for each side respectively, this makes travel via Kinmen with an hourly short thirty-minute ferry ride to Xiamen's Wutong Ferry Terminal, close to Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, very popular.

Check-in facilities for Kinmen Airport flights exists within the Wutong Ferry Terminal to assist in travel from the mainland to Taiwan.

The airport was then moved to Shang-i where it is now located, taken over by the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) in consideration of the war with PLA.

With the growing number of passengers traveling between Taiwan Island and Kinmen, the government started to reestablish the civilian flight between the two and it began operation in September 1987 by Far Eastern Air Transport, sharing the same apron and terminal building with ROCAF at the airport.