In a winter marked by weather-related cancellations, RIC officials look to future construction, expansion

On Tuesday morning, Holger Droessler and his 6-year-old son, Noah, lounged on couches in the central atrium at the Richmond International Airport.

Richmond was never in their travel plans returning from a trip to visit family in Munich. But because of the snowstorm in the northeast, the father and son were rerouted south of their hometown airport (Boston Logan Airport), which was forced to close after more than three feet of snow fell.

They landed at Dulles Airport in Northern Virginia Monday and flew to RIC Tuesday morning. The Droesslers were prepared to spend hours there, lunching at the Applebee’s and catching a late afternoon flight to Newark, where they would then drive a rental car home to Boston.

They were among the thousands of passengers’ whose flights were changed or canceled from Sunday to Tuesday up and down the northeast because of the snowstorm’s impact.

While Metro Richmond avoided the snow, travelers felt the impact at RIC.

A total of 117 flights at RIC were cancelled on Sunday (30), Monday (61) and Tuesday (26) because of the blizzard. Monday's cancellations represented 35% of the scheduled 174 that day at the airport.

A storm of cancellations and deportations

While the Droesslers patiently waited for their next flight, cancellations, construction, expansion and communication were the key issues discussed at the Capital Region Airport Commission monthly meeting in the airport’s boardroom.

With 4.9 million RIC passengers in 2025, the airport’s fiscal year to date 2026 revenues have totaled $45 million, according to a financial report, while operating expenses year-to-date were $26.6 million.

In 2025, 2.46 million passengers traveled through RIC. During the current fiscal year to date, the airport has served 2.8 million passengers – 60,000 more (a 2.1% increase) compared with the same seven-month period one year earlier, according to RIC Director of Communications Troy Bell.

In addition:

• RIC saw 15.6 million pounds of cargo come through in January, a decrease of 0.9% from January 2025;

• aircraft operations were down 8.6% in January when compared with last January, with only contract (or private) air carriers showing growth;

• commercial aircraft operations during the current fiscal year (which began July 1) were up nearly 5% when compared with the same timeframe during the previous fiscal year;

Cancellations also walloped RIC last month during Winter Storm Fern at the end of January, when 346 flights were canceled. That impacted RIC’s January aviation activity report, which showed 316,765 total passengers (a 3.8% decrease from January 2025), Bell said.

RIC spent $99,000 on snow removal expenses during the storm.

The airport also is currently experiencing another déjà vu moment, as TSA officers are working without pay once again because a partial government shutdown has halted funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE shuffle flights at RIC continue

The Human Rights First organization’s January 2026 Immigration Customs Enforcement Flight Monitor Report continued to monitor flights to and from airports worldwide, including RIC’s private charter terminals, where routine domestic ICE “shuffle” deportation flights regularly occur from three to eight times a week.

The organization tracked a total of 136 ICE deportation flights out of RIC since January 2025 and tallied a total of 13 deportation flights during January this year. That total number of ICE deportation flights this year puts RIC in a top-20 ranking of airports where shackled detainees are ferreted to the Alexandria, Louisiana hub.

Human rights experts have expressed concern about the hidden nature of the flights and the lack of charges or due process. According to Human Rights First’s December 2025 ICE Flight Monitor Report, the increase in deportation flights at RIC in 2026 is a 156% year-over-year increase.

Construction underway – and more forthcoming

The coming years will usher in a period of extensive capital improvement projects at RIC with numerous construction projects.

Visitors to the short-term parking garages will see changes due to the current construction remodeling of the center core parking, landscaping and artwork renovation. With a $4.8-million budget, it is one of eight landside improvements impacting in the parking garages, roadways and signage totaling $19 million overall.

RIC is urging passengers to allow extra time and follow directional signs surrounding this construction. There are numerous detours within the hourly parking garages that started late last month.

One of the roads connecting the North and South hourly parking garages will be closed until June, and detours are in place to direct airport visitors through the garages if either reaches capacity.

New pavement and landscaping plantings will be installed in the wedge-shaped parking area between the garages with updated storm drainage, site lighting and furnishings, walkways, and pet relief areas as well as infrastructure for future electric vehicle charging stations.

On Tuesday, the CRAC heard a cost estimate of $253.1 million for the airport’s planned consolidated security checkpoint from architecture and engineering firm Gresham Smith. The design process alone costs $2.5 million and requires federal grants for completion. It is one of five other current passenger-focused capital improvement projects in the terminal buildings and concourses.

The checkpoint, which is currently in the design phase, will include construction of 103,000 square feet of new space and the renovation of 84,000 square feet of existing space on the first and second floors of the airport. The project also includes the construction of 29,000 square feet of mezzanine space.

The renovation, estimated to take two years, will create additional space for concessions and will allow for the addition of an airport lounge.

“There are multiple benefits of a consolidated checkpoint,” said Nagesh Tummala, director of capital development. “One is, currently we have two checkpoints. And so, the passenger has to be cognizant on which airline they are going to, which gate they are going to. By having the checkpoint further up at the throat, they don't have to think about that process so they can go to the checkpoint, finish the screening, and then they can look at the dynamic signage and decide which gate they need to go to. It helps the passenger and prevents confusion.”

Bell said the consolidated checkpoint also supports RIC’s aspirations for direct international service.

“Right now, the gate that we use for international that ties into our Federal Inspection Services facility is gate B15. So, if someone comes in on an international flight that needs to clear out of that, once they're through the customs process, they have access to gates on both sides A and B sides,” Bell said. “Once this is done, they'll have clear access to all 28 gates.”

Under the current set-up, passengers might have to leave one concourse and go back through TSA screening to reach the other one, he said.

The checkpoint design through graphics and electronics is meant to give a sense of the James River.

“It looks like literally the river runs through it,” Bell said. “There are kayakers on it, a design of curves when you come in, with light. The architects are using the James River for a certain amount of inspiration for the design.“

Other forthcoming capital projects will include renovated enclosure of the rental car area, a pocket park and a change in retail and restaurants.

Airport footprint expansion

The CRAC board approved several expansion efforts that would potentially make way for more advanced aviation operations.

Members approved a resolution to accelerate site readiness efforts via a license agreement with Henrico Economic Development Authority to facilitate the use of $1 million in grant funding through the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s Virginia Business Ready Site Program relocating Beulah Road in the southeast portion of the airport, which would expand the airport’s area.

The CRAC also awarded a contract for grading approximately 5.5 acres of land on the east side of the airport to JSG Corporation of Williamsburg, Va., for $2.11 million. Work will include grading, stormwater improvements, selective tree clearing, erosion control, and storm sewer installation. The work will improve site readiness for the airport’s East Side site.

And commission members also approved a new five-year firm and additional five-year renewal term lease in the Ivor Massey Building of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The total annual lease amount is $135,584 for the initial five-year term.

The airport’s capital improvement projects listed in an agenda update nine airside projects addressing runways, taxiways, aprons and other facilities totaling $118.6 million.

Three planned studies and initiatives include a master plan update, a new radio system and a master basin stormwater management study with a total cost $8.4 million.

By Tuesday afternoon, several flights to and from Newark Liberty and New York’s LaGuardia airport as well as Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale in Florida continued to show cancellations. But Wednesday morning showed less than a handful of RIC flights with delays to and from the snowier cities.

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.