Richmond International Airport

[benstyree]

It sounds like Southwest is finally adding a route between RIC and Midway. Starting 4x per week and going to daily in May. Great news! Southwest has prime growth opportunities here. 

[eandslee]

Just now, benstyree said:

It sounds like Southwest is finally adding a route between RIC and Midway. Starting 4x per week and going to daily in May. Great news! Southwest has prime growth opportunities here. 

Breaking News!  You just beat me to it!  I was writing up a post when you posted this.  Good on you for beating me to it.  here is a link to the announcement:

 

https://thepointsguy.com/news/southwest-boosts-florida-utah-rotues/?utm_content=131F3C80-7AE0-11EB-8813-70CA96E8478F&utm_campaign=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_term=Editorial&fbclid=IwAR35naNBE28ccFFWu7AMATMt7GQgjV52HRUZTLnVO5y-JYlTwX3SsfDP6yA

[eandslee]

Here is the flight schedule for this new route:

RIC - MDW 1:00pm - 2:00pm

MDW - RIC 12:50pm - 2:40pm

[I miss RVA]

This is very good news indeed!

[eandslee]

1 minute ago, I miss RVA said:

This is very good news indeed!

Now you have another way to come and visit!  Come down often!

[I miss RVA]

18 minutes ago, eandslee said:

Now you have another way to come and visit!  Come down often!

I'll do just that! It might be worth the extra schlep to get to Midway from where I live (I'm closer to O'Hare on the North Side).

[My2cent]

So it looks like breeze airways is coming to Norfolk!  Was this a miss opportunity for Richmond.  
 

https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1454827&p=22706291&hilit=Orf#p22706291

 

 

[eandslee]

37 minutes ago, My2cent said:

So it looks like breeze airways is coming to Norfolk!  Was this a miss opportunity for Richmond.  
 

https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1454827&p=22706291&hilit=Orf#p22706291

 

 

If true, then Yes!  Missed opportunity because it was thought that RIC would get Breeze.

Breeze might still come to RIC and serve both airports...which I hate when that happens. 

Edited March 25, 2021 by eandslee

[eandslee]

In other news (which is good for RIC), Southwest is going to expand at RIC again!  On 9 May, Southwest will begin daily nonstop service to DEN (Denver)!  Finally, Southwest is making moves at RIC!

You have to scroll down pretty far to see the Richmond bit:

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/book-today-southwest-airlines-takes-off-for-myrtle-beach-sc-beginning-may-23-fares-as-low-as-69-one-way-and-golf-bags-fly-free-301256155.html

Edited March 25, 2021 by eandslee

[My2cent]

Wow now Richmonders  are going places!!
 

Hopefully the new expanded concourse a will bring even more placed for us to travel to.

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, eandslee said:

In other news (which is good for RIC), Southwest is going to expand at RIC again!  On 9 May, Southwest will begin daily nonstop service to DEN (Denver)!  Finally, Southwest is making moves at RIC!

You have to scroll down pretty far to see the Richmond bit:

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/book-today-southwest-airlines-takes-off-for-myrtle-beach-sc-beginning-may-23-fares-as-low-as-69-one-way-and-golf-bags-fly-free-301256155.html

What I really like about all the new/expanded service is that now RIC is getting direct flights WEST. That really wasn't happening before. Adding Denver to the mix is huge for us, considering additions of LAX and Las Vegas. THIS is a very good trend. This has been a major "hole in the doughnut" for RIC since forever. Now it just needs to be supported.

3 hours ago, eandslee said:

If true, then Yes!  Missed opportunity because it was thought that RIC would get Breeze.

Breeze might still come to RIC and serve both airports...which I hate when that happens. 

How did we blow this one. I feel like I missed something. What happened?

[eandslee]

11 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:

How did we blow this one. I feel like I missed something. What happened?

Well, I don't think it is official yet.  AV-Geeks everywhere have been chomping at the bit to find out what airports Breeze will be operating out of, but nothing official has come out yet (not that I have seen).  A lot of it is speculation and I have seen where people have been saying that either RIC or ORF will get it...or even both.  If ORF gets it, that will be disappointing as I think RIC has a more central location in the state for all of Virginians.  Not sure how much the airport is courting Breeze either, so we shall see.  I'm not taking the post above as Gospel until I see it in an official announcement, but it is definitely something to keep an eye on.

[eandslee]

In case you didn't read it due to the paywall, the RTD had a small article on the new daily Southwest route from RIC-DEN that starts 9 May.  Here's an excerpt that talks about the other west coast flights from RIC you might find interesting:

Quote

The new Denver destination comes as the Richmond area is at least temporarily losing some other West Coast flights. In April, JetBlue Airways is “pausing” its nonstop routes from Richmond International to Los Angeles and Las Vegas with plans to restart in May.

JetBlue did not respond to email and phone requests for comment on Friday, but Richmond International Airport spokesman Troy Bell said the company cited “challenging West Coast conditions” in its decision to pause the flights in April.

 

Nonstop JetBlue flights to Los Angeles are expected to resume in May with twice-weekly service, while flights to Las Vegas are expected to resume four times per week.

 

JetBlue started the flights between Richmond and Los Angeles and Las Vegas in mid-December, in what was touted as a historic step for air travel from Richmond, but the company also warned that the flights were a “use it or lose it” proposition for air travelers in Richmond.

 

Then some very encouraging news:

 

 

While traffic remained down in February, Bell said the encouraging news is that passenger traffic seems to have rebounded in March. The airport has not yet released the data on traffic in March.

 

Edited March 27, 2021 by eandslee

[eandslee]

Just a quick update on flights at RIC.  According to reports on the Airliners.net forums (and these are really reliable):

1) United Airlines' route between RIC and IAH (Houston, TX) will begin again in June.  This route was paused when the pandemic began and only came back for like a week a couple months ago.  A permanent rebirth of this route is very positive news.

2) JetBlue's route between RIC and TPA (Tampa, FL) will pause for the summer.  It is rumored that it will restart again in the fall.  Reports are that Florida's markets soften up in the summer (not really understanding why that is, but that's what they are saying).

3) I've noticed that the route between RIC and MIA (Miami, FL) lately have run two flights each day; one on a EMB-175 and one on an Airbus 319.  This is significantly more than the usual one flight a day on an EMB-175.  Don't know how long this will last or if it is permanent, but it's a very positive sign.

4) Don't forget that Southwest starts direct flights between RIC and DEN (Denver, CO) on 9 May!

5) Finally, I've read that direct flights on JetBlue between RIC and LAX will begin again in May and will run ~3-4 days a week; flights between RIC and LAS will also start back up, but will only run ~1-2 times a week.  Hopefully, these will become daily flights (as originally intended) soon.

*March passenger numbers for RIC should be released the last week of the month, but passenger numbers are expected to be higher than in Jan or Feb this year.  Looks like people are starting to travel again!

Go book your travel plans folks and fly RIC!

[I miss RVA]

4 hours ago, eandslee said:

Just a quick update on flights at RIC.  According to reports on the Airliners.net forums (and these are really reliable):

1) United Airlines' route between RIC and IAH (Houston, TX) will begin again in June.  This route was paused when the pandemic began and only came back for like a week a couple months ago.  A permanent rebirth of this route is very positive news.

2) JetBlue's route between RIC and TPA (Tampa, FL) will pause for the summer.  It is rumored that it will restart again in the fall.  Reports are that Florida's markets soften up in the summer (not really understanding why that is, but that's what they are saying).

3) I've noticed that the route between RIC and MIA (Miami, FL) lately have run two flights each day; one on a EMB-175 and one on an Airbus 319.  This is significantly more than the usual one flight a day on an EMB-175.  Don't know how long this will last or if it is permanent, but it's a very positive sign.

4) Don't forget that Southwest starts direct flights between RIC and DEN (Denver, CO) on 9 May!

5) Finally, I've read that direct flights on JetBlue between RIC and LAX will begin again in May and will run ~3-4 days a week; flights between RIC and LAS will also start back up, but will only run ~1-2 times a week.  Hopefully, these will become daily flights (as originally intended) soon.

*March passenger numbers for RIC should be released the last week of the month, but passenger numbers are expected to be higher than in Jan or Feb this year.  Looks like people are starting to travel again!

Go book your travel plans folks and fly RIC!

Great info, eandslee! These are all VERY good signs for RIC. Let's hope things really take off again - and RIC can start adding even more flights, destinations and carriers going forward.

[eandslee]

Excerpts from the RTD on the airport and passenger numbers.  Things are looking up, but we are still not there yet...however, there is hope for this summer:

Passenger traffic has declined year-over-year for every month since March 2020: down 6.2% last month; 67% in February; 65.4% in January; 64.6% in December; 63.8% in November, 65.2% in October; 65.78% in September; 69.48% in August; 70% in July; 79.9% in June; 91.6% in May; 96.4% in April 2020; and 50.4% in March 2020.

 

The airport began seeing more traffic last month with spring break trips and more people being vaccinated. Earlier this month when many public schools were off for spring break, traffic picked up where March left off, airport spokesperson Troy Bell said.

This month's figures will include passengers using Southwest Airlines' new nonstop service to Chicago Midway International Airport that started April 12 five times a week. A daily nonstop service is expected to begin in May.

Also coming in May, Southwest plans to add a new nonstop daily flight to Denver on May 9. JetBlue's nonstop flights to Las Vegas and Los Angeles, which started in December but took a pause in April, should resume in May.

 

Looking ahead, the airport reports that JetBlue is expected to increase the number of flights to Boston from three during the week to as many as three times per day by mid-July.

Two long-time routes previously suspended - United Airlines' nonstop service to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston and Delta Air Lines' nonstop flight to Minneapolis-St. Paul - are expected to return to the June schedule.

[eandslee]

Quick Airport Update:

I was tipped off to some advertisements for jobs for various positions at the airport that might indicate a new airline landing at RIC.  

Could this be a sign that the much-anticipated new airline, Breeze Airways, is planning to set up shop at RIC?  
 

If you haven’t been following Breeze, this is a new airline that is being started by the same guy who successfully started JetBlue (David Neelman - so this guy knows what he’s doing) and is HQ’d in SLC.  Breeze Airways will be a LCC (Low Cost Carrier) that is gearing toward serving smaller airports near major population centers and RIC has been named (unofficially) by many novices who follow the industry as a possible market to be served by Breeze.  It, supposedly, will not be a hub and spoke airline, but is supposed to focus on point-to-point routes  to these “secondary airports” (however, I’m sure there will be some focus cities).  Breeze is supposed to start sometime this year and reports are that they should have already started, but they are waiting for FAA approval first (which is expected any day now).  
 

Anyway, just wanted to provide a “heads up” (if it comes to fruition) that RIC may see a new airline serving the airport in its near future.  Destinations are still unknown at this point, but I’ll try to keep everyone updated as I get word. 

Edited April 30, 2021 by eandslee

[Wahoo 07]

2 hours ago, eandslee said:

Quick Airport Update:

I was tipped off to some advertisements for jobs for various positions at the airport that might indicate a new airline landing at RIC.  

Could this be a sign that the much-anticipated new airline, Breeze Airways, is planning to set up shop at RIC?  
 

If you haven’t been following Breeze, this is a new airline that is being started by the same guy who successfully started JetBlue (David Neelman - so this guy knows what he’s doing) and is HQ’d in SLC.  Breeze Airways will be an ULCC (Ultra Low Cost Carrier) that is gearing toward serving smaller airports near major population centers and RIC has been named (unofficially) by many novices who follow the industry as a possible market to be served by Breeze.  It, supposedly, will not be a hub and spoke airline, but is supposed to focus on point-to-point routes  to these “secondary airports” (however, I’m sure there will be some focus cities).  Breeze is supposed to start sometime this year and reports are that they should have already started, but they are waiting for FAA approval first (which is expected any day now).  
 

Anyway, just wanted to provide a “heads up” (if it comes to fruition) that RIC may see a new airline serving the airport in its near future.  Destinations are still unknown at this point, but I’ll try to keep everyone updated as I get word. 

Any chance that it's Alaska?

[eandslee]

1 minute ago, Wahoo 07 said:

Any chance that it's Alaska?

I guess that would be possible, but probably not likely.  Alaska Airlines would be awesome to have - especially since it would probably bring more direct west coast destinations along with it (like Seattle).   If what I'm learning is in error, I'd love for the error to be for Alaska Airlines service for sure!

However, this build-up seems to co-inside with a Breeze Airways start up.  There were another airports mentioned that are seeing the same exact positions being advertised and those are PIT (Pittsburg) and CHS (Charleston).  These airports, folks who follow the industry are saying, are prime for Breeze Airways destinations.  Plus, CHS already has Alaska Airlines service, probably due to their huge Boeing facility right there at their airport.

[eandslee]

Today marks the start of a new direct route from RIC to Denver via Southwest Airlines.  This is the second airline that offers daily non-stop service to and from Denver, CO!  This article is SO encouraging to read...RIC is generating more passenger numbers by the day and I love the last statement from Mr. Jack Berry in this article - check it out.  RIC is taking off!

https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/southwest-airlines-now-offering-nonstop-service-from-richmond-to-denver/

Don’t forget that direct, non-stop service to LAX and LAS via JetBlue is going full steam ahead again and passenger loads looks pretty good - I’ve seen some very full flights lately!  Book often and FLY RIC!

Edited May 10, 2021 by eandslee

[My2cent]

Richmond Airport defiantly going in the right direction. I came across henrico building permits and noticed this new 10917 building built i hope its an airplane maintenance building. What do you all think.

 

https://gis.henrico.us/BuildingPermits/

[123fakestreet]

52 minutes ago, My2cent said:

Richmond Airport defiantly going in the right direction. I came across henrico building permits and noticed this new 10917 building built i hope its an airplane maintenance building. What do you all think.

 

https://gis.henrico.us/BuildingPermits/

Gulf Stream Rd is all the private hangars, it's the lot next to HeloAir.  That area is aviation related, but that lot is likely not airplane related though since they'd want to be on the opposite side of the road and adjacent to the runways.  Something else with helicopters?

[Icetera]

51 minutes ago, 123fakestreet said:

Gulf Stream Rd is all the private hangars, it's the lot next to HeloAir.  That area is aviation related, but that lot is likely not airplane related though since they'd want to be on the opposite side of the road and adjacent to the runways.  Something else with helicopters?

Though that address is adjacent to HeloAir, it is also connected by taxiway and planes do have direct runway access on the Western side of the road.  it is hard to gauge the size of the lot in question as GIS is unclear.

[123fakestreet]

Yeah there is a long taxiway around, i guess just thinking why would they want to do that when there is a runway adjacent lot right across the street. Were they saving money on a cheaper lot? - typically not an issue for anyone who owns private aircraft.  So either what they are building does not need to be runway adjacent or is too big to fit on that smaller lot.

Edited May 12, 2021 by 123fakestreet

[eandslee]

Just FYI regarding the new Southwest Airlines flights between RIC and MDW (Chicago):  Originally planned as one daily flight per day to and from the two cities, I'm actually observing two flights per day for the past week (at least that's when I really started to notice it).  The exception to this is on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, which are the two slowest air travel days during a normal week (only one flight per day).  This is very encouraging indeed!

Furthermore, I got word that United Airlines will be flying two flights per day between RIC and Denver (DEN) this summer (at the very least...maybe longer/permanent depending on demand - start date unknown, but soon).  Southwest Airlines just started service between RIC and DEN this past Sunday and appears to be doing very well.  This should pull the prices down per flight to the Mile High City.  In addition, I think Denver is slowly moving to the top as one of the most popular destinations from RIC.  Who would have thought this would be the case several years ago when the route first started?  Wow! 

With the additional SW flights, Chicago is also rising even higher in rank as the most popular destination from RIC (with American Airlines, United, and now SW Airlines flying to the Windy City from RIC).  By comparison, Atlanta and Charlotte are the two most traveled destinations from RIC right now.  Cities in the NE used to be in the top 10 (pre Covid), but have not done very well since the pandemic began due to the very slow return of business travel.  Not sure if they still rank in the top 10 destinations.

The LAX and LAS flights on JetBlue appear to be doing pretty well with passenger loads.  Also, most of the flights, as of late, appear to be red-eye flights too (not sure if that is the reason for better passenger loads or if it is because the pandemic is ending).  Could LAX and LAS be the next two most popular cities to fly to from RIC?  Time will tell, but I'm encouraged by the passenger loads lately.  In all honesty, I was really worried a few months ago.  RIC seems to be going in a nice, upward trajectory with regard to passengers served just based off of my observations.  Official numbers always come out (for the prior month) the last Tuesday of each month.  This month we'll see how April was with passenger numbers.  All indications are that it will show, at least, a gradual increase.  The question is...by how much?  Stay tuned for more!