The airport is named after Wuliangye, a locally made liquor that is one of the most famous baijiu brands in China.

It occupies an area of 4,500 mu (300 ha) in Zongchang Town (宗场), Cuiping District, 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) northwest of the city center.

[2] Construction began in October 2016 with a total investment of 2.927 billion yuan, and the airport opened on 5 December 2019.

The name has been a target of ridicule by the public[18] and is considered illegal by some legal experts.

[18] Responding to the controversy, the Wuliangye Company has declared that it has not paid to have the airport named after its brand.