Richmond International Airport

[wrldcoupe4]

Some of you have apparently struck a nerve with our friends to the east on the topic of airports based upon their sentiment in the Norfolk Airport thread.

[I miss RVA]

2 hours ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

Some of you have apparently struck a nerve with our friends to the east on the topic of airports based upon their sentiment in the Norfolk Airport thread.

Oh yeah? Feathers have been ruffled, I take it?

[Niccckk]

They're definitely right about us being salty over the Breeze hub

[Niccckk]

Ironclad coffee is replacing the 3 Caribou Coffee's at RIC!
Great to see it getting replaced with a local business (that I've been to, and has really good drinks)!

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/02/27/ironclad-coffee-comes-in-for-a-landing-at-ric/

[blopp1234]

44 minutes ago, Niccckk said:

Ironclad coffee is replacing the 3 Caribou Coffee's at RIC!
Great to see it getting replaced with a local business (that I've been to, and has really good drinks)!

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/02/27/ironclad-coffee-comes-in-for-a-landing-at-ric/

Glad to see something replacing caribou. I couldn’t stand caribou as their coffee always tasted way too sweet. Never had ironclad but anything has got to be better than caribou. 
 

Sorry for the rant.

 

Hopefully we see more retail spaces added with a possible consolidation of security for both concourses, which should free up a lot of space in the main retail node between the concourses. Should also be a positive for allowing airlines like Breeze or Allegiant (if their codeshare agreement with Viva Aerobus goes through) to offer international routes. 

[eandslee]

46 minutes ago, Niccckk said:

Ironclad coffee is replacing the 3 Caribou Coffee's at RIC!
Great to see it getting replaced with a local business (that I've been to, and has really good drinks)!

https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/02/27/ironclad-coffee-comes-in-for-a-landing-at-ric/

Was hoping someone would get on and vouch for this new coffee brand. I don’t drink coffee, but for those who do, I know it’s important to have a good-tasting brand. Local and good - always a great combination!

Two complaints I hear most are 1) not enough variety of concessions available at RIC and, 2) that concessions aren’t open late when planes land late at night. I think that might need to change given that more flights are arriving later or departing later. Can’t imagine going to the airport to catch a late flight and nothing is open. Wonder if there’s just not enough patrons to keep a business open that late?  As the schedule of flights change and RIC gets busier, the 8:00pm close time is really no longer applicable for concessions anymore. As the airport changes, so do the availability of food and drink options.

As for variety, other airports the size of RIC are teaming with concessions. case in point:  I flew in and out of JAX a few times and their offerings are far and away better than RICs.  Hope this changes for RIC soon.  I guess there just needs to be more space available for concessions too…that would be a concourse design issue.

Anyone know when the two security areas will be consolidated into one so that there is freedom of movement between the two concourses?  That needs to happen yesterday!

 

[wrldcoupe4]

Ironclad is a great experience and good offerings. Curious to see how that translates into the airport locations.

[Flood Zone]

Yeah, you can construe the slight hint of nervousness in the owner's voice (given the name but not the management translates in the airport setting).

[RiverYuppy]

If you're ever looking for a cup of coffee in Shockoe, I recommend checking out Ironclad.  It's a cozy little place that occasionally has live music from their grand piano. It is a great addition to RIC. Even if their airport locations are only half as good as their Shockoe location, they'll be five times better than Caribou. 

I did not like Caribou coffee and would intentionally avoid it in RIC. With Ironclad I'll gladly get a cup each time I go to RIC.

As someone who is a big fan of airport lounges, RIC does feel very different than a lot of other airports I have been to. Though I've never been to one in a city that compares to RVA.

As much as I would love for RIC to get a Centurion lounge, what RIC needs is a Firehouse Subs, Chipotle, Chick-fil-A or something of the sort. Right now it feels like it serves Walmart brand restaurants at Whole Foods prices. If I'm leaving from RIC and I want to grab lunch/dinner while I wait for my flight, being able to grab a solid meal that I'm familiar with and is reasonably priced would be wonderful. I'd rather have a $10 Chipotle bowl or $9 chicken sandwich combo that I know I'll like than having to shell out $30 on a meal that I know is going to taste subpar.

The more traffic RIC gets the more it can sustain better businesses. 

1 hour ago, eandslee said:

Anyone know when the two security areas will be consolidated into one so that there is freedom of movement between the two concourses?  That needs to happen yesterday

That would effectively double the potential customers many businesses opening in RIC could get. Hopefully that does happen soon.

[eandslee]

Most airports with lounges are hub airports with passengers having to manage layovers. Until RIC is in that type of situation, there probably won’t be a lounge built.  BUT that doesn’t HAVE to be the case. A lounge to sit in (and to take in some refreshments) prior to taking a flight is nice (I do that quite often).  By comparison to RIC, JAX (a non-hub airport similar in size to RIC) has a lounge, but it is super tiny and honestly, not really worth it to go.  I haven’t looked, but I’d bet that Austin’s airport has a lounge (just on a hunch). 

[Flood Zone]

3 hours ago, eandslee said:

Anyone know when the two security areas will be consolidated into one so that there is freedom of movement between the two concourses?  That needs to happen yesterday!

Dumb question, but how would this even happen? As I recall, the checkpoints are left and right of the escalator, in pretty close proximity to the escalator. Wouldn't consolidating them create a bottleneck at the escalator?   

Unrelated, they should have Retro Nights sometimes and reinstall the seats with the built-in black-and-white TVs like they had in the 1980s. Many Sunday afternoons watching Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen call NFL games on NBC while waiting for my grandmother to come back from California. 

[eandslee]

5 minutes ago, Flood Zone said:

Dumb question, but how would this even happen? As I recall, the checkpoints are left and right of the escalator, in pretty close proximity to the escalator. Wouldn't consolidating them create a bottleneck at the escalator?  

Not sure I’m understanding your question. If you look at the diagram below, the 2 current security checkpoints are circled in red (nowhere near the escalators circled in blue).  I would imagine that if the security checkpoints were consolidated into just in check point, it would be about where the green arrow is pointing.  This would allow a free flow of passengers between Concourse A and B.

 

 

[wrldcoupe4]

That would be a really narrow spot  especially since you need to accommodate the security area and those leaving the terminals. I had assumed it would move to the atrium.

[blopp1234]

43 minutes ago, eandslee said:

Most airports with lounges are hub airports with passengers having to manage layovers. Until RIC is in that type of situation, there probably won’t be a lounge built.  BUT that doesn’t HAVE to be the case. A lounge to sit in (and to take in some refreshments) prior to taking a flight is nice (I do that quite often).  By comparison to RIC, JAX (a non-hub airport similar in size to RIC) has a lounge, but it is super tiny and honestly, not really worth it to go.  I haven’t looked, but I’d bet that Austin’s airport has a lounge (just on a hunch). 

Austin does have a lounge however there are multiple similar sized or smaller airports to Richmond that have lounges. Memphis, Jacksonville, Ontario CA and Colorado Springs are all similarly sized and have lounges. With the security consolidation I believe it was talked about that a lounge would be added. 

 

24 minutes ago, Flood Zone said:

Dumb question, but how would this even happen? As I recall, the checkpoints are left and right of the escalator, in pretty close proximity to the escalator. Wouldn't consolidating them create a bottleneck at the escalator?   

 

The proposed consolidation would look like the picture below.

[eandslee]

19 minutes ago, wrldcoupe4 said:

That would be a really narrow spot  especially since you need to accommodate the security area and those leaving the terminals. I had assumed it would move to the atrium.

They could always widen that area.  In fact, I they were planning to widen the current security areas before someone wised up and thought to do a single security checkpoint. 
 

Edit:  Just saw Blopp’s post - he found the rendering…which shows a widening of that narrow area to accommodate the security checkpoint. Thanks Blopp!

Other than JAX, I didn’t realize the other airports you mentioned had lounges…and I’ve flown in and out of a couple of them!  Ha!  Hey, I’m all for RIC adding a lounge!!

Edited February 27, 2023 by eandslee

[I miss RVA]

21 hours ago, Niccckk said:

They're definitely right about us being salty over the Breeze hub

Oh yeah? What all are they saying? 

I don't go on other cities' UP pages (I keep it to Richmond-only - that's just how I roll) - I'd be curious to know what all they're saying.

[Flood Zone]

1 hour ago, eandslee said:

Not sure I’m understanding your question. If you look at the diagram below, the 2 current security checkpoints are circled in red (nowhere near the escalators circled in blue).

Ah ... my apologies. It's been too long since I've traveled from RIC and forgot the length of the hallway from the escalators to where things widen near the checkpoints. Like I said, dumb question!

Also, thanks @blopp1234

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, blopp1234 said:

Austin does have a lounge however there are multiple similar sized or smaller airports to Richmond that have lounges. Memphis, Jacksonville, Ontario CA and Colorado Springs are all similarly sized and have lounges. With the security consolidation I believe it was talked about that a lounge would be added. 

 

The proposed consolidation would look like the picture below.

I like this plan - it definitely could have a LOT of benefits.

Three questions: When was this feasibility study conducted? Is there a timeframe in which this is likely to be implemented? Do we know if funding has been made available or will the airport have to wait for money to make this happen?

[eandslee]

2 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

I like this plan - it definitely could have a LOT of benefits.

Three questions: When was this feasibility study conducted? Is there a timeframe in which this is likely to be implemented? Do we know if funding has been made available or will the airport have to wait for money to make this happen?

Incidentally, I saw this from the airport moments ago on Twitter.  Might mean they can borrow money to get projects like this one done a lot easier and sooner!

 

Edited February 27, 2023 by eandslee

[I miss RVA]

23 minutes ago, eandslee said:

Incidentally, I saw this from the airport moments ago in Twitter.  Might mean they can borrow money to get projects like this one done a lot easier and sooner!

 

EXCELLENT!! Yeah, it would seem to me that they could borrow for capital improvements. Wondering how much state and federal funding they would need to limit their total outlay and minimize how much they have to borrow?

[eandslee]

Some good news for 3 Virginia airports to include Richmond International Airport.  Looks like Dulles International and Norfolk International are also recipients of federal funding.  For RIC, $4M will be used to replace 21 jet bridges that are beyond their useful life.  See details in the article linked below:

https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=3FF489C2-E955-4466-9A02-049324FE17DE

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, eandslee said:

Some good news for 3 Virginia airports to include Richmond International Airport.  Looks like Dulles International and Norfolk International are also recipients of federal funding.  For RIC, $4M will be used to replace 21 jet bridges that are beyond their useful life.  See details in the article linked below:

https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=3FF489C2-E955-4466-9A02-049324FE17DE

ORF is getting a people mover? 

Seriously?  

[eandslee]

1 hour ago, I miss RVA said:

ORF is getting a people mover? 

Seriously?  

Sure, but we’re getting an international gate and a customs center using funds we received last year…and this year, new jet bridges.  It’s all good.  A people mover is not greater than that! 

[blopp1234]

1 hour ago, I miss RVA said:

ORF is getting a people mover? 

Seriously?  

They need it based on their airport layout. Part of what makes RIC convenient is that the walk from the curb to gates isn’t far, and the walk from gates to baggage claim is pretty quick. Therefore, unless a new terminal is built further away from the existing terminal (which even if we have a lot of growth on par with Austin, would be decades before it would even be considered), or a midfield satellite concourse is built (which isn’t in the RIC master plan for growth), a people mover won’t ever be needed. There are massive airports, such as Portland, Austin, Charlotte, BWI and even Boston currently don’t have people movers, so they aren’t necessary when satellite concourse are built or there are long distances between gates and the entrance/exit of the airport. 
 

Also, the people mover proposed at ORF (please correct me if I’m wrong) will just be a moving pedestrian walkway, as I’m almost positive that less than $6 million wouldn’t get a system similar to LAX, O’Hare or DFW. 
 

Also, not trying to get all kumbaya, but there’s no need to have any bashing of ORF and Hampton Roads, and likewise with that forum towards RIC and RVA. I get some of us are competitive (I am guilty of this), but there really is no reason to talk negatively or eye role whenever something good happens to the other metro area.So what if ORF get a moving walkway from their main terminal to the baggage claim, we don’t have to tear them down for it. We have things going for us that should be focused on (ie. Increased west coast service, new international customs area) that we should be celebrating over tearing them down, while they have good things going too (moving walkway to baggage area, terminal and concourse modernization and concourse a expansion).

 

No need to tear down fellow Virginians when we can each celebrate what each city and airport are doing.

 

Sorry for the rant

Edited February 28, 2023 by blopp1234

[wrldcoupe4]

6 hours ago, eandslee said:

Incidentally, I saw this from the airport moments ago on Twitter.  Might mean they can borrow money to get projects like this one done a lot easier and sooner!

 

Lots of nuggets in the Fitch summary, much of which this group already knows. Not too many autopsies through 2027. The airport does seem bullish on new flights and international destinations once the customs area is completed. 
https://www.fitchratings.com/research/us-public-finance/fitch-revises-outlook-on-capital-region-airport-commission-va-to-positive-affirms-rev-rating-24-02-2023

Edited February 28, 2023 by wrldcoupe4