RIC Passenger Traffic on the Rise Ahead of Summer Travel

New All-Time March Record and a 5.5% increase over last year

Richmond International Airport (RIC) experienced its busiest March ever with 417,648 passengers traveling through the airport, which surpasses the previous record set in 2024 (413,316) and is a 5.5% increase over the same period last year.

During the monthly meeting of the Capital Regional Airport Commission on Tuesday, passenger traffic data showed a 3% increase for fiscal year-to-date 2026 (FYTD26), a gain of over 100,000 passengers.

Ahead of summer vacation season, several seasonal routes are expected to restart in May, including service to Nashville with Allegiant, Charleston, S.C., Islip, Jacksonville, Los Angeles and San Francisco with Breeze, and Minneapolis/St. Paul with Sun Country.

Total cargo and aircraft operations both increased significantly compared to March 2025, rising 11.8% and 7.4%, respectively. For more info, visit monthly statistics on the web.

Airport revenue and expenses for March outperformed the FY26 budget, according to preliminary, unaudited data. Monthly operating revenues totaled $7.6 million, exceeding projections by $1.2 million or 19.8%. Fiscal-year-to-date 2026 (FYTD26) revenues rose by $4.4 million (8.0%) to $58.7 million.

Monthly operating expenses were less than budget by approximately $100,000 or 1.5%, driven by legal expense timing and offset by favorable timing of benefits billing impacting personnel expenses. FYTD26 expenses totaled $34.1 million, under budget by $1.9 million or 5.2%.

About Richmond International Airport (RIC)  

Richmond International Airport’s vision is to be the region’s preferred gateway to the world. In support of its vision, RIC recognizes the importance of providing choices to travelers and offers connecting options to points around the globe. According to the Commonwealth of Virginia, activities attributable to the airport create nearly 14,000 jobs and contribute about $2.4 billion in annual economic activity to Virginia’s Capital Region. To learn more, please visit RIC on the web, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, Threads, or LinkedIn.