The airport began operations in 1934 as Suthep Airport, after it developed as an airstrip in the early 1920s. Until World War Two, it was used mainly for postal delivery services, with some military use. During the war, it was used by the occupying Japanese forces, and was hence attacked by British and US air forces.

The first scheduled passenger flight to Chiang Mai arrived in 1947, with the foundation of Siamese Airways. At this time and until the late 1950s the runway surface was still grass or dirt, with very few support buildings.

Airports of Thailand expanded the terminal with upgrades in 2014 including expansion of the apron for larger planes, extending operating hours to 24/7 (effective April 2014), and enlarging the international arrival hall and domestic departure hall. As of 2018, 31 airlines operated at CNX, serving 11 million passengers, 78,210 flights and 14,612 tonnes of cargo.

As a result of the temporary closure of Suvarnabhumi Airport in 2008 due to the protests, Chiang Mai was used as an alternative stopover for China Airlines flights between Taipei and Europe and for Swiss International Air Lines' Singapore-Zurich flights. On 24 January 2011, the airport became a secondary hub for Thai AirAsia. China Airlines subsequently regularised the stopover.