Colonial history

The airport was originally built in 1930 by the Dutch colonial government, following permission from the Sultan of Siak, who donated 3,270 hectares of land for its development. The airfield became known as Simpang Tiga Airfield, named after its location near a major intersection on the Trans-Sumatra Highway connecting Pekanbaru to Kampar Regency and Indragiri Hulu Regency. Its construction greatly enhanced the Dutch colonial administration's connectivity with the outside world. In addition to supporting trade, the airfield also served as a base for the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force. The airfield also served as a transit stop for KNILM (Royal Dutch Indies Airways) on its Batavia–Medan and Batavia–Singapore routes.

The airport was seized by the Japanese during World War II, following the invasion of the Dutch East Indies and the subsequent Dutch capitulation. During the occupation, the airfield was used by a small squadron of aircraft from the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service. Owing to its strategic location near the Strait of Malacca, the airbase was considered a valuable asset, enabling the Japanese to conduct aerial patrols over the strait using aircraft stationed at the site. The Japanese subsequently developed the airfield using forced laborers known as romusha, most of whom were recruited from Java.

Following the Japanese surrender, the airfield was taken over by Republican militias. As part of efforts to reassert control over Riau, the Dutch attempted to retake the airbase. On 2 July 1946, a Dutch B-25 Mitchell bomber conducted a strafing run on the runway in preparation for the assault. In response, the militias shot down the aircraft, killing 11 Dutch airmen. One surviving crew member was captured, treated for his injuries, and later transferred to Bukittinggi as a prisoner of war. The airfield was attacked again during Operation Kraai, as the Dutch sought to capture it. Following a massive airstrike, Dutch forces landed paratroopers and captured the airfield on 1 January 1949. Republican militias largely withdrew, destroying several buildings and facilities beforehand to prevent them from falling into Dutch hands.

Post-independence era

Following the Dutch withdrawal from Indonesia, the newly established Garuda Indonesian Airways began serving Pekanbaru with flights from Jakarta, with stopovers in Padang or Palembang. During the early years of independence, a new runway was constructed adjacent to the old airfield. Initially measuring 800 m (2,625 ft) and designated as runways 18 and 36, it was extended to 1,500 m (4,921 ft) in 1950.

The airfield was captured by PRRI rebels during the civil war in Central Sumatra in the late 1950s and subsequently served as a major rebel base in Riau. It was recaptured by government forces on 16 March 1958 following a major offensive known as Operasi Tegas ("Operation Firm"), which involved a joint operation by special forces from the Indonesian Air Force and Indonesian Army.

By 1967, both the runway and aircraft parking apron had been paved with asphalt to a thickness of 7 cm (2.8 in), while the runway had been extended by an additional 500 m (1,640 ft). At the time, Simpang Tiga Airport was designated as the main entry point for Caltex employees working at the company's oil refineries in Rumbai. Special flights were operated for them from Jakarta using Fokker F28 aircraft.

On 1 April 1994, management of Simpang Tiga Airport was transferred to Angkasa Pura II, later rebranded as InJourney Airports. In 2000, the airport was renamed after Sultan Syarif Kasim II, the former Sultan of Siak, who advocated for the integration of Riau into Indonesia and was later recognized as a national hero of Indonesia. The renaming was ordered by then-President Abdurrahman Wahid, who issued a special decree authorizing the change.

Contemporary history

In early 2010, the airport underwent its first major expansion with the construction of a modern terminal to replace the original facility, which had been built in the 1980s but had become overcrowded and unable to accommodate increasing passenger numbers and air traffic. As part of the development, the old terminal was demolished to make way for expanded parking areas. The new terminal features a contemporary design, and a larger aircraft apron to accommodate growing air traffic.

The airport has received several awards. In 2012 and 2013, the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism consecutively awarded the airport the title of "Cleanest Airport Toilet." In 2013, the airport was again named The Best Airport by Angkasa Pura II at Bandara Award 2013, held by Indonesia's Ministry of Culture and Tourism; it beat several prominent airports such as Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Minangkabau International Airport in Padang and many other airports that are managed under Angkasa Pura II.