Pekanbaru Airport serves the capital of Riau, an oil and palm oil province in the heart of Sumatra. Officially named Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport, it handled about 2.75 million passengers in 2023. The field doubles as a front line air force base, home to F-16 and Hawk squadrons. Its civil traffic is dominated by flights to Jakarta, with growing links to Malaysia across the Strait of Malacca.
Pekanbaru Airport at a Glance
The codes are PKU for IATA and WIBB for ICAO. The airport lies about 3 miles (5 km) south of Pekanbaru city centre, beside a major junction on the Trans Sumatra Highway. Elevation is 31 metres (102 feet). There is one runway and one main passenger terminal, plus a VIP terminal.
Traffic reached 2,752,561 passengers in 2023. The airport was long operated by the state company Angkasa Pura II, now part of InJourney Airports. Lion Air group carriers, Garuda Indonesia, Citilink and Batik Air provide most domestic flights, while AirAsia, Batik Air Malaysia and Malaysia Airlines fly to Kuala Lumpur. The air force side is Roesmin Nurjadin Air Force Base. Schedules are on the airport’s official website.
A Short History of Pekanbaru’s Airport
The Dutch colonial government built the airfield in 1930 on 3,270 hectares of land donated by the Sultan of Siak. It was called Simpang Tiga, meaning three way junction, after its position at a crossroads. The first runway was just 800 metres long.
The airfield saw action during the Indonesian independence struggle. On 2 July 1946 local militias shot down a Dutch B-25 bomber during a strafing run, killing 11 airmen. After independence the runway was extended to 1,500 metres in 1950, then paved and lengthened again by 1967.
Pekanbaru Airport was later renamed after Sultan Syarif Kasim II, the last ruler of Siak Sri Indrapura. He gave his support and wealth to the new republic and is now honoured as a national hero. A new terminal opened on 16 July 2012 at a cost of around Rp 2 trillion, replacing a 1980s building that was demolished.
Runways at Pekanbaru Airport
There is a single asphalt runway, 18/36, measuring 2,600 metres (8,530 feet) long and 45 metres wide. Works completed in 2012 lengthened it from about 2,200 metres and widened it from 30 metres, and a further extension to 3,000 metres is planned. The runway runs north to south.
The runway has a mixed record. On 14 January 2002 Lion Air Flight 386, a Boeing 737-200, crashed on take off and was written off without loss of life. In February 2011 two Lion Air overruns led the transport ministry to ban Boeing 737-900ER landings at Pekanbaru on wet runways. Earlier accidents include an Airfast DC-3 crash in 1981 and a Mandala Antonov An-12 that landed short in 1999.
The Indonesian Air Force shares the runway. Its 16th Squadron flies F-16s and the 12th Squadron flies BAe Hawk 109 and 209 jets. Smoke from peatland fires across Riau is a recurring hazard, and thick haze has closed the airport during bad fire seasons.
Terminals and Airlines
The 2012 terminal covers about 17,000 square metres and has four jet bridges. It was designed for 1.5 million passengers a year, a figure traffic overtook long ago. An apron expansion completed in 2014 lifted capacity to 13 narrow body jets and allowed wide body types such as the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777.
Lion Air, Batik Air, Super Air Jet and Wings Air form the largest group, flying to Jakarta and across Sumatra and Java. Garuda Indonesia and Citilink also serve Jakarta. International flights to Kuala Lumpur are flown by AirAsia, Batik Air Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines and Lion Air, and Scoot links Pekanbaru Airport with Singapore. Susi Air keeps an operating base here, but no major airline treats the field as a hub.
Routes and Destinations
Jakarta is the dominant route from Pekanbaru Airport, served by several airlines with frequent daily flights. Business travellers from the oil, gas and plantation sectors fill many seats, alongside families visiting relatives in the capital. Medan and Batam are the other key domestic routes, and smaller communities such as Gunungsitoli, Dabo and Tanjung Balai Karimun are reached by Wings Air and Susi Air turboprops.
Malaysia is the main international market. Many Riau residents travel to Kuala Lumpur and Malacca for medical treatment, shopping and family ties, and the region shares close cultural links with the Malay peninsula. Hajj and umrah flights to Saudi Arabia are part of future plans, which would add wide body traffic.
Cargo is significant for a regional field, at around 17,000 to 23,000 tonnes in 2023 depending on the source. Demand peaks around Eid al Fitr, when millions of Indonesians travel home.
Getting to and from Pekanbaru Airport
There is no rail link to Pekanbaru Airport. Taxis wait outside arrivals and reach the city centre in around 15 to 20 minutes, depending on traffic. App based ride hailing is widely used and is often the cheapest sensible option, with designated pickup points at the terminal.
The airport sits near the Trans Sumatra Highway, which links Pekanbaru with Kampar and Indragiri Hulu regencies to the west and south. Parking is available in front of the terminal. Traffic around the airport junction can be heavy at peak hours, so allow extra time for departures.
Spotting and Photography
Pekanbaru Airport is an active military base, so photography demands caution. Indonesian law restricts images of military aircraft and installations, and security forces patrol the perimeter. Keep cameras on airliners and stay well clear of the air force side.
The civil mix is dominated by Lion Air group Boeing 737-900ERs and 737 MAX 8s, Batik Air Airbus A320s and Wings Air ATR 72s, with AirAsia A320s on the Kuala Lumpur route. Garuda and Citilink add variety. Use public roads, avoid lingering near fences and follow any instructions from police or air force personnel.
What Comes Next
Plans call for capacity of up to eight million passengers a year, with three more jet bridges taking the total to seven. Yet the site is hemmed in by the city, and the air force base limits further growth. A replacement airport in Siak Regency has therefore been proposed.
For now Pekanbaru Airport will keep serving Riau’s busy economy from its crowded urban location. Its long term future depends on whether the Siak project moves from plan to construction. Compare it with Medan and Batam on our Airports of the World map.
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