Tourism to the Murcia region has grown steadily for several decades, becoming popular as a less expensive alternative to established holiday areas such as the Costa del Sol. Expansion of the airport serving the area, Murcia–San Javier Airport, was becoming impractical due to its primary function as a military airfield and component of the Academia General del Aire, the officer training school of the Spanish Air Force.

In 2002 the company Aeromur (Aeropuertos de la Región de Murcia) was formed as a vehicle for investment, finance and promotion of a new regional airport. In 2006, the regional government put construction and operation of the airport out to tender. The Aeromur consortium, now including construction firm Sacyr, won the tender for a term of 40 years and announced it would invest 550 million euros in the project.

Construction work began in July 2008, with the opening of the airport planned for 2010. In 2009 building stopped as Sacyr had run out of money. As banks were not willing to loan the funds to Sacyr, the regional government stepped in and guaranteed 200 million euros of credit. The airport was completed in 2012, but did not become operational until 2019, after years of contractual wrangling between the regional government, Aeromur and Sacyr. Before opening, the concession for operating the airport was withdrawn from Aeromur and awarded to Aena.

The airport was officially opened on 15 January 2019 by the King of Spain as Aeropuerto Internacional de la Región de Murcia – Juan de la Cierva, named after the Spanish aeronautical pioneer who invented the autogyro. The first flight to arrive at the airport was Ryanair flight FR1824 from East Midlands Airport.