Two airport expansion projects nearing

Richmond International Airport soon will undergo a $45 million, 18-month expansion project of Concourse A – a project that will add six new gates to the airport, which currently has 22.

Steady growth at the airport for the past five years and the Capital Region Airport Commission's desire to stay ahead of the demand curve prompted the project, airport spokesman Troy Bell told the Citizen.

Although the airport has never turned away any airline requests, airport officials anticipate an increase in what already appears to be the airport’s trend — heavy arrivals at night and heavy departures in the morning.

“Between the two, there is a high demand from air carriers for overnight parking positions,” Bell said. “To accommodate that, we need additional parking positions for aircrafts.”

Jon Mathiasen, president and CEO of the airport, agreed, adding that the expansion will lead to all available gates being occupied.

“If we get two or three more morning flights that we’re anticipating over the next 24 months, by the time these gates open, we’ll be ready for them,” he said. “We always like to stay just a little ahead of the curve, because we never want to say no to an airline that wants to put new service in.”

In addition to the new gates, the expansion also will provide an extra restroom facility for each gender and create extra space for more restaurants, news and gift shop choices, Bell said.

Bids for the project arrived earlier this month, and staff members will recommend a bidder to the commission soon, Bell said. If the planning stages go smoothly, work could begin as soon as early September, he said.

Following the Concourse A project will be the expansion of the Concourse B security checkpoint, Bell said. Once awarded, that project is expected to take eight months to complete at an estimated cost of $4 million.

The checkpoint expansion will provide two additional lanes for TSA, which will help with the expected increase in morning traffic, Mathiasen said.

“It’s a really great reflection of the region continuing to grow,” Mathiasen said. “If the economy stays healthy like it is, I see nothing but growth for the airport, and it will complement the community.”