Richmond airport prepares for expansion takeoff

Richmond International Airport is looking to soar to new heights — and destinations — in the coming years.

At the heart of these changes is Wheels Up 2030, a strategic plan aimed at transforming RIC from its Federal Aviation Administration designation as a small hub airport to a medium-sized one that handles up to 1% of the nation’s annual passenger boardings. Capital Region Airport Commission President and CEO Perry Miller calls this vision “a really big game changer” for the airport and the region as a whole, as it could attract flyers and economic development traditionally lost to Washington Dulles and Reagan National airports.

Key to this growth is the construction of a consolidated security screening checkpoint that will merge two separate areas into one central location and include renovations to many other parts of the airport. Architectural renderings show a redesigned atrium, expanded concessions, glass elevators and curved digital walls designed to welcome arriving passengers. Once a winning bid finalizing the design is selected this summer, construction is expected to take at least three years and cost $253.1 million.

All told, Miller says, flyers will be able to expect a “friendly, efficient process” on the way to their destinations.

Meanwhile, RIC is making progress on other projects to be completed this summer. Inside, dining options like Hardywood Park Craft Brewery and Wolfgang Puck Bar & Bites are being added, and restrooms are getting a $1.87 million upgrade with smart bathroom mirrors and stall availability lights. Outside, the Center Core Plaza is undergoing a $5.1 million renovation that would allow it to host musical performances and networking events and have electric vehicle charging stations.

And next door, design is underway on a 200-acre RIC site on Beulah Road to ready it for development, potentially by an aerospace user. The Henrico Economic Development Authority is using a $1 million state site readiness grant.

The additions come as the airport in 2025 set new annual highs for passengers (4.92 million) and cargo (223 million pounds). But those records could soon be exceeded as RIC adds flights to Atlanta and Denver via Frontier Airlines and a nonstop trip to Puerto Rico on JetBlue Airways.

A new task force created by the Greater Richmond Partnership, however, is aiming even higher with dreams of a nonstop flight to Europe, seeking to raise an unspecified amount of funding toward that goal.