Richmond Airport President cites ‘opposition’ after delay in vote on takeover of service

HENRICO COUNTY, Virginia – The Capital Region Airport Commission has voted unanimously to delay a planned takeover of airline services after intense public and lawmaker backlash.

Tuesday morning’s vote followed a letter that Richmond International Airport President and CEO Dr. Perry Miller sent to Commission Chairman James Holland on Friday requesting a delay in his proposal.

“Since I joined the Commission, I have not seen a single Commission decision result in a dissenting vote,” Dr. Miller wrote. “The pending resolution has generated opposition from some Commissioners, airport stakeholders and the public.”

For decades, Richmond Jet Center and Million Air Richmond have provided services such as fueling, de-icing and aircraft maintenance to the airport in eastern Henrico.

The two companies are called fixed-base operators or FBOs.

At the commission’s July meeting, Miller said the public deserves better services as the airport plans to offer more flights and invest in infrastructure.

Michael Clarke is president and CEO of the Richmond Jet Center, which has operated at RIC for nearly 80 years.

Last week, he invited CBS 6’s Brendan King for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Henrico plant, which employs dozens of workers.

“We have reached out to the airport and they have told us they have no complaints about us. We have reached out to our customers and they are also upset about the process because they don’t want to see a government monopoly either,” Clarke said at the time.

The commission had already postponed the vote on Miller’s resolution until July so that members could visit the Richmond Jet Center and Million Air Richmond.

Clarke said eight commissioners visited his Henrico County facility before the vote.

He was optimistic about the renewed delay.

“We are encouraged by the postponement and look forward to working with the commissioners and Dr. Miller on a way to move forward,” Clarke said after Tuesday’s meeting.

In his letter, Miller also proposed working with the two FBOs on a future plan to remain at RIC, which represents a reversal of his original goals.

“In addition, the deferral will allow staff time to review and recommend to the Commission short-term options for the airport’s permanent base operations, such as issuing an RFP for a lease or management agreement with a term of at least three (3) to five (5) years for the operation of the two current FBO facilities,” Miller wrote.

The board has not provided a timetable for when the commissioners will return to vote.

Commissioner Dr. Mark Miller, Midlothian County Supervisor, said without a timetable, it was “psychological warfare” for the dozens of employees waiting for their future.

Several commissioners, including Misty Whitehead of Henrico, a district manager for the Three Chopt District, and Kevin Carroll of Chesterfield, a district manager for the Matoaca District, spoke of receiving personal attacks via email.

“We don’t get paid enough to be abused via email,” said Commissioner Jessica Schneider of Chesterfield, a district supervisor for the Clover Hill District.

Dr. Miller, who was appointed by the board in 2019, addressed the allegations, saying he had neither met nor visited the FBOs to date.

“The fact is that I have not been able to meet with them during this process. My intention in the future is to make sure that I meet with industry representatives about the possible options. If I could speak to them directly, that would be a very different matter,” he said at the meeting.

However, the request for proposal (RFP) has been running for two years.

Virginia state lawmakers, including Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond) and Virginia Senate Minority Leader and Senator Ryan McDougle (R-Hanover), who toured the Henrico facilities, expressed concern that the process was not transparent.

“Recent news reports indicate that the Commission has issued requests for proposals from FBO service companies twice in the past two years. Ultimately, the Commission rejected both requests for proposals without providing a clear justification for the deficiencies in the proposals,” wrote Rep. McClellan.

Several companies working with the FBOs and the Virginia Business Aviation Association (VBAA) also sent letters to the Commission calling for transparency and a revision of the proposal.

“A proprietary airport takes on many risks and liabilities that staff cannot overcome with a learning curve. Once the damage is done, there is no turning back and the entire market suffers. We hope this failure can be avoided and we can better position RIC for the growth this community deserves,” the association warned.

The next meeting of the Commission will take place on 24 September.

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