The current terminal dates back to the Soviet era, having been built in the 1970s. Thus, the construction style is very similar to other small airports in the former Soviet Union—a single terminal built to handle domestic flights, without customs or security facilities. This prompted the airport management to completely renovate the airport in 1999 and 2000. The airport’s reconstruction was funded by the Government of the Republic of Moldova ($3 million) and a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ($9 million).

In 2007, through regular and charter flights operated by 15 airlines, the passenger flow exceeded 688,800 people. That same year, the airport underwent rebranding.

On October 24, 2008, the second airport modernization project was launched, with the work carried out by the German company Hochtief AirPort GmbH. A year later, the construction project for a multi-story car park near the terminal began. The multi-story car park, with 800 spaces, was put into operation on May 17, 2015. The cost of the work was approximately seven million euros.

On December 22, 2008, Chișinău International Airport was awarded the ISO 9001:2000 certificate. On January 19, 2011, it obtained accreditation for reduced CO2 emissions.

On October 31, 2013, Chișinău International Airport signed a bilateral cooperation agreement with Manas Airport in Kyrgyzstan, which provides for collaboration in the exchange of experience and the joint search for an airline operator that will create a bridge to Europe through Chișinău.

In November 2013, the airport was concessioned for a period of 49 years to “Avia Invest” LLC, a company with Russian shareholders. On November 23, 2022, the Chișinău Court of Appeal definitively and enforceably annulled the concession contract. As a result, the airport returned to the administration of the Republic of Moldova. On January 18, 2024, the IATA code was changed from KIV to RMO.