At retreat, RIC commission considers international routes, regional cooperation

Research shows London, Paris, Rome, Dublin, Frankfurt and Iceland are top international destinations for Richmond-area travelers, but most of those travelers are not leaving from Richmond International Airport.

On Friday, Capital Region Airport Commission Chief Growth Officer Martin Rubinstein presented to the commission concrete numbers about the potential for air service development including, possibly, to those European destinations.

During the final day of a two-day retreat for the 14-person body, the possibility for expansion of international flights showed real airline ticket data to back up potential expansion of destinations.

That data shows nearly 700 passengers travel daily to international destinations, but because of RIC's limited flights abroad, it is losing 75% of those international passengers to other markets.

“I do have a lot of immigrants in Three Chopt,” said Henrico County Three Chopt District Supervisor Misty Roundtree. “I was a little surprised there wasn't more Asia travel there, but I'm guessing that it's 'leakage,' meaning people are flying in and out of D.C. for some of those destinations. I would love to see us expand on these international destinations.”

Delhi, India is the only destination in Asia that reached the top 15 destinations for travelers from RIC.

Looking at models of smaller airports with international flights, consultant Steve Van Beek pointed to Indianapolis and Hartford, where Aer Lingus offers flights to Dublin. He explained to the commission how those airports analyzed and pursued that connection and sought support from various government bodies to make it a reality. Business communities played a a role in supporting these expansions.

Roundtree said the retreat was helpful for the members of the commission to have an overarching discussion about RIC's mission.

“Everything that we do should be focused on the mission, we should be able to tie a reaction to a goal that we have established, that's efficient,” Roundtree said. “I'm optimistic of the 'swinging for the fences' approach we're taking to make the airport vibrant.”

Airport's $2.1B impact

This discussion, along with sections focused on changes to RIC's fuel farm; RIC's relation to its fixed-base operators; and survey results from customer and employees, set a base for the CRAC members to knowledgeably formulate the vision for the facility's new strategic plan. That plan will help guide the airport through the next five years – a period that will include RIC's 100^th anniversary in 2027.

Airport President and CEO Perry Miller told the group (while spelling out the strategic plan structure and the connected decision-making process) that the commission is charged with drilling down into the airport's future.

The Capital Region Airport Commission is the airport's governing body, with 14 representatives from the four Metro Richmond localities (Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover). In addition to Roundtree, elected officials representing Henrico County on the commission include supervisors Tyrone Nelson (varina District) and Roscoe Cooper (Fairfield District). Businessman Bobby Ukrop also represents the county, bringing decades of experience as a business owner. The commission meets monthly as a group and in various committees to review decisions such as construction and consultant contracts.

At the retreat Friday, commission staffers presented data and survey results focused on RIC's capacity for growth and improvement.

Through May, the airport had welcomed about 4.4 million passengers during its Fiscal Year 2025 (which ended at the end of June), down about 1% from the same period a year earlier, according to the presentation.

Currently, 10 passenger airlines and four dedicated cargo carriers offer domestic service from RIC. Last week, Frontier Airlines announced new nonstop service to Atlanta and Denver starting in October. Activities involving the airport have created nearly 16,000 jobs and contribute about $2.1 billion in annual economic activity to Virginia’s capital region, according to the airport's website.

Could collaborative efforts help?

Van Beek also presented varying models of more expansive regional approaches to airport management, such as the one in place at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.

With anticipated growth at RIC, Ukrop said the other two airports in the region (smaller ones in Hanover and Chesterfield) could collaborate.

"There is good work done individually, but I think working together, there are things that can be helped by investing our capital, and sometimes you can consolidate," Ukrop said. "There are fixed costs of running a business, maybe everyone doesn't have to have everything.”

Presentations also honed in on customer and employee surveys with key points for improvement, including shopping and dining. Plans to consolidate airport security that is now divided between the two concourses may mean the possibility of a future food court to include local offerings. In the shorter term, the local Beet Box restaurant will be offering juices and coffee drinks at RIC.

“Everyone says the same thing about Richmond: 'It's fine. It's efficient, you get in and out,' but nobody is excited about going there other than to get to their destination,” said Roundtree, who also focused her attention on employee feedback including the need for childcare options.

“It's reassuring that the leadership that's in place is aligned with how we as elected officials feel about being responsive to people giving feedback. It's not just an exercise in performance,” Roundtree said.

'Feeling good' about RIC's potential

Cooper said he found the informative retreat presented ideas that are “challenging who we are as an airport, showing the potential possibility for the airport to be better.”

“I'm excited,” Cooper said. “We're a mid-market airport; we're trying to home in on the things that we are doing well and increasing the enplaning. I'm feeling good about what we are hearing.”

He was particularly interested by the customer service aspect of the many surveys presented at the retreat “making sure that we are taking care of our own people, our own employees, their health and wellness.”

When surveyed, many employees emphasized the desire, when possible, to work in a hybrid setting, which Cooper said is important because it attracts staff.

Nelson said his biggest concern about the Richmond International Airport is its growth potential.

“I think that's going to have a greater impact on our region,” Nelson said.

A benefit of strategic planning, Ukrop said, is seeing what “other people do in other parts of the nation, to see if that could be applied here.

“The consultants helping us brought things that we were unaware of. They showed us data. It does stimulate our thinking and causes us to think what are things going to look like 25 years from now.”

Dina Weinstein is the Citizen’s community vitality reporter and a Report for America corps member, covering housing, health and transportation. Support her work and articles like this one by making a contribution to the Citizen.