Richmond International Airport Seeks to Reflect Region

Transformation efforts shared at monthly airport commission meeting emphasize community, culture, and customer experience

Long-term growth and development at Richmond International Airport (RIC) was the focus of discussion at this month’s meeting of the Capital Region Airport Commission (CRAC).

As RIC enters a historic period of transformation, headlined by a consolidated security screening checkpoint project which merges two existing checkpoints into one, the airport is taking the opportunity to cultivate a sense of place that reflects the Richmond region. A branding charette, facilitated by design firm 3North and attended by airport stakeholders, business representatives and community members, was held in late April to brainstorm ways to make travelers first impression a memorable one.

“This was one of the best events of this kind I have attended, and the results speak for themselves,” said Perry Miller, Ph.D., A.A.E., I.A.P., president and CEO of Richmond International Airport. “I’m excited to move forward and incorporate some of these elements to create a real sense of place here.”

Representatives from 3North shared that charette participants emphasized four areas — natural elements, atmosphere, arts and experiences, and history and culture. The results also revealed three themes that center on using the James River as guiding element for airport visitors, leveraging the distinct contrasts within the region to highlight culture, and branding RIC as a “hyper-local landing spot” that celebrates the Richmond region.

While the terminal has been bustling with summer vacation travelers, RIC did experience a slight decrease in traffic in May with 445,979 passengers welcomed at the airport, which is 1.8% less than the same month last year.  The decrease was attributed to the recent spike in the cost of jet fuel and the cessation of service of Spirit Airlines in the first weekend of May. Passenger traffic data showed a 2.6% increase for FYTD26.

Total cargo and aircraft operations both increased compared to May 2025, rising 10.3% and 1.8%, respectively. For more info, visit monthly statistics on the web. 

A monthly finance report for May showed airport revenues outperformed the FY26 budget, according to preliminary, unaudited data. Monthly operating revenues totaled $8.1 million, exceeding projections by $1.5 million or 25.0%. Fiscal-year-to-date 2026 (FYTD26) revenues rose by $7.3 million or 11.8% to $73.8 million. 

Monthly operating expenses were greater than budget by approximately $400,000 or 11.7%, largely driven by $212,000 in expenses associated with the Commission’s historical billing and cleanup efforts (which were more than offset by approximately $1.4 million in reclaimed rental and concession income from the same review). FYTD26 expenses totaled $37.8 million, under budget by $1.7 million or 4.3%. 

In other business matters, the Commission reviewed and approved resolutions that support the airport’s strategic priorities, including authorizing the airport CEO to: 

• Execute a construction agreement for nearly $1.5 million for the Ramp and BHS Surveillance System Project with M.C. Dean Building Intelligence. The project consists of new cameras and infrastructure to support monitoring aircraft ramp operations at concourses A and B and within the baggage handling system.
  
  
• Execute a contract for the replacement of an Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF) vehicle in the amount of $1.35 million, funded 80% by the Virginia Department of Aviation (DOAV) and 20% by the airport.
  
  
• Apply to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board for a usage-driven FTZ designation on behalf of LEGO Systems, Inc., and execute the necessary agreements to establish and operate the FTZ site at LEGO’s Regional Distribution Center in Prince George County. Annual revenue of $12,000 is expected from operating fees.
  
  
• Execute a Federal Aviation Administration grant in the amount of $500,000 for the East Side General Aviation Apron 5 Connectors design project. The grant will fund planning, design, and bidding services for two taxiway connectors from Taxiway M to a new taxi lane for the future Apron 5.

About Richmond International Airport (RIC)  

Richmond International Airport’s vision is to be the region’s preferred gateway to the world by focusing on world-class customer experience and operational excellence that drives passenger choice. Activities at RIC contribute nearly 13,500 jobs and $2.97 billion to central Virginia’s economy, according to a new report from the VCU School of Business Executive MBA program. To learn more, please visit RIC on the web, X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, or YouTube.