June Passenger Traffic Sets All-Time Monthly Record at RIC

At the monthly meeting of the Capital Region Airport Commission, Richmond International Airport (RIC) reports a new all-time monthly passenger traffic record of 373,379 travelers in June 2018. This is the third time since October 2017 that a new all-time one-month record has been established at the facility.

“While the Airport is well into a sixth consecutive year of growth, support from the community has been particularly strong over the last nine months,” said Commission president and CEO Jon E. Mathiasen, AAE. “Unquestionably, the Airport benefits from broad economic growth we are seeing across the Richmond Region. This growth leads to expanded offerings from airlines which benefits travelers via more options than ever before at RIC.”

For June 2018, RIC reports a 12.1 percent increase in total passenger traffic versus the same period a year ago. Delta Air Lines led the market with a 34.6 percent share of passengers, followed by American and United. Four incumbent air carriers reported year-over-year growth, including United (+21.7 percent), Delta (+10.0 percent), JetBlue (+8.3 percent), and American (+2.9 percent). Steady performance from Southwest, the arrival of Spirit, and new service to Nashville from Allegiant also contributed to the robust June report.

In addition to passenger traffic gains, the airport saw increases in other monitored areas in June:

• Total cargo, the sum of freight and mail, increased 15.4 percent to 13.37 million pounds.
• Aircraft operations increased 3.6 percent from a year ago, with air carrier (+8.4 percent), air taxi, and military operations all reporting growth.

Financials

June operating revenues totaled $4.5 million, greater than budget by $819 thousand or 23 percent, with gains in parking and concession revenue reporting higher than expected, primarily due to June’s increased passenger traffic. Operating expenses totaled $2.2 million, greater than budget by $173 thousand or nine percent. The operating expenses increase is largely attributable to training and testing related to a replacement management system for public parking facilities.

For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, the Commission reports preliminary operating revenues of $47.8 million and operating expenses of $24.7 million.