In August 1956, the Chinese government decided to convert the airbase into a dual-use military and civil airport.

On 1 January 1957, Nanchang's first civil flight in the People's Republic of China era took off at Xiangtang, bound for Ganzhou.

[1][3] In Xiangtang's first full year of operation, it served a total of 102 passengers, which increased to 35,709 in 1980.

[3] During the reform and opening era, air travel boomed and Xiangtang's passenger volume grew rapidly.

Although expanded twice, Xiangtang Airport was unable to accommodate the explosive growth in traffic.