On 16 July 2012, a new terminal worth Rp 2 trillion ($212 million) was inaugurated to accommodate 1.5 million passengers annually. The terminal is designed to handle eight narrow-bodied jets, such as the
Boeing 737-900ER, and two wide-body jets, equivalent to the
Boeing 747 jumbo jet, simultaneously. Spanning 17,000 square meters, the terminal features a larger aircraft apron capable of accommodating 10 wide-bodied aircraft—double the capacity of the previous apron. The terminal's design blends Malay and modern architectural styles, with its structure inspired by the shape of the
Serindit, a bird native to Riau. To meet the technical demands of a world-class airport, the runway was extended from 2,200 meters to 2,600 meters, and is also planned to be expanded to 3,000 meters in the future. The runway width was also increased from 30 meters to 45 meters. This expansion was part of the infrastructure development for the 2012
Pekan Olahraga Nasional, held in Pekanbaru. Although the new terminal opened in 2012, two of its three jet bridges did not begin operation until late July 2014. Today, the airport features four jet bridges. The old terminal was demolished to make room for the expanded apron. Additionally, a new air traffic control tower (ATC) was constructed to support the operations of the upgraded terminal. Another round of expansion began in June 2013 and was completed in 2014. The current apron now covers 58,410 square meters and can accommodate up to 13 narrow-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 737-900ER, as well as wide-body jets, including the
Airbus A330, Boeing 747, and
Boeing 777. The development includes a parallel runway, and PT Angkasa Pura II plans further expansion to increase the passenger terminal’s capacity to eight million passengers per year. This expansion also includes the addition of three more jet bridges, bringing the total to seven. The airport is now intended to handle
Hajj pilgrimages, particularly for Riau Province and Pekanbaru. ==Awards==