Lanzhou's first airport, Gongxingdun Airport, was located just 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the city centre. By 1957, the Civil Aviation Administration of China decided that Gongxingun Airport's location was too restrictive for the aviation needs of Lanzhou and designated a new site near Zhongchuan town. Due to the geography of Lanzhou, this closest suitable location is 71 km (44 mi) from downtown Lanzhou, which makes it the furthest airport it China from the center of the city it serves.

In 1968, construction was started on Lanzhou airport and on July 26, 1970, the maiden flight took place with the first aircraft landing of an Ilyushin Il-14. At the time, the airport handled 5 domestic routes. In 1980, Zhongchuan Airport handled 100,000 passengers annually, growing to 500,000 in 1995. On June 15, 1997, an expansion project was officially started.

In 2001, the current Terminal 1 was put into operation, allowing handling of 2.6 million annual passengers. In 2010, Lanzhou airport's passenger throughput exceeded 3 million people a year and the second expansion project started.

Terminal 2 officially started construction in 2010, after preliminary design approval and with an investment budget of 1.488 billion yuan and a designed passenger capacity of 10 million annually. In 2013, Lanzhou airport's passenger throughput exceeded 5 million passengers per annum, increasing the official Lanzhou airport ranking among the major airports within China. Terminal 2 opened in 2015 and later that year the Lanzhou–Zhongchuan Airport intercity railway between the airport and Lanzhou's urban area opened. By 2019, the Zhongchuan airport handled over 15 million passengers annually.

Third Expansion Phase

The third expansion phase, which began in 2019 at a cost of 31.69 billion Yuan, has now been completed. It includes the construction of the new Terminal 3, two new 4,000 meters (13,000 ft) long runways, and expanded airport facilities. Terminal 3 is four times larger than the combined floor area of the previous terminals.

To make way for the expansion, the entirety of the adjacent namesake Zhongchuan town and several villages—totaling 10.7 square kilometres (4.1 sq mi) — were demolished, and residents were relocated to Lanzhou and Lanzhou New Area. Terminal 3 and the expanded facilities officially opened on 20 March 2025.

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