Richmond airport has tons of new nonstop flights
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Richmond nonstop flight routes. Image: Courtesy of Richmond International Airport
The number of nonstop flights out of Richmond has nearly doubled since the pandemic.
The intrigue: Las Vegas, San Francisco, New Orleans, Tampa, Charleston and, as of May 2023, Minneapolis/St. Paul are just a few of the nonstop routes new to Richmond since 2020.
What's happening: More low-cost carriers and airlines experimenting with new routes during the pandemic drove a lot of the expansion, Troy Bell, director of marketing for Richmond International Airport, tells Axios.
What they're saying: "If you're an airline looking at markets, there's a lot to like about Richmond," Bell says.
- The region's booming sports tourism, for example, is attractive to carriers.
- And statistics that show Richmond workers returned to the office at higher rates than in other cities are something airlines like to see as it means more potential business travelers.
Why it matters: Connecting flights are the worst, but from an airport's perspective, nonstop routes can boost bookings by 50% or more, Bell said.
By the numbers: In July 2020, there were 18 nonstop routes out of RIC. In July 2023, there will be 33.
- Summer is the benchmark since seven of the 15 routes added in recent years are seasonal, Bell says.
Some carriers use seasonal routes as a way to test the waters in a market before expanding, Bell says, and others start small in Richmond before eventually expanding.
What's next: There's a lot of demand for more nonstop service to the west, with LA and Seattle at the top of the wish list, Bell says.
And RIC is currently updating its customs facility, which could open the door for nonstop international flights as soon as next year.
Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean would be the most likely destinations to start should it happen, Bell says, but he'd love to see nonstop to Europe out of RIC one day too.