HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — The Capital Region Airport Commission has voted unanimously to delay a proposed takeover of airline services after receiving backlash from the public and lawmakers.
The Tuesday morning vote follows a letter Richmond International Airport President and CEO Dr. Perry Miller sent to Commission Chairman James Holland on Friday requesting a delay of his proposal.
“Since starting with the Commission, I have not observed a single decision by the Commission that entailed 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 run services like plane refueling, deicing, and maintenance for the airport in eastern Henrico.
The two businesses are referred to as fixed-base operators or FBO.
At the Commission's July meeting, Miller said the community deserved better services as the airport aimed to add more flights and invest in infrastructure.
Michael Clarke is the president and CEO of 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 facility that employs dozens.
"We've reached out to the airport and they've told us that they have no complaints on us. We’ve reached out to our customers and they're upset with the process, too, because they don't want to see a government monopoly either,” Clarke said at the time.
The Commission had already rescheduled the vote on Miller’s resolution in July so members could visit Richmond Jet Center and Million Air Richmond.
Clarke said eight Commissioners visited his Henrico County facility prior to the vote.
He was optimistic about the new delay.
“We are encouraged by the deferral and we look forward to working with the commissioners and Dr. Miller on a way to move forward,” Clarke said after the Tuesday meeting.
In his letter, Miller also suggested working with the two FBOs on a future plan to stay at RIC, which is a 180 flip from his original goals.
“Also, deferral will provide staff time to study and recommend to the Commission short-term options for the Airport's fixed base operations, such as, for example, issuance of an RFP for a minimum of three (3) to five (5) year lease or management agreement for operation of the two current FBO facilities,” Miller wrote.
The board didn’t include a timeline for when the Commissioners will take up the vote again.
Commissioner Dr. Mark Miller, a Midlothian District Supervisor, said without a timeline, it was “psychological warfare” for the dozens of employees awaiting their futures.
Several Commissioners including Misty Whitehead of Henrico, a Three Chopt District supervisor, and Kevin Carroll of Chesterfield, a Matoaca District supervisor, spoke about receiving personal attacks via emails.
“We don’t get paid enough to be abused by the emails,” said Commissioner Jessica Schneider of Chesterfield, a Clover Hill District supervisor.
Dr. Miller, who was appointed by the board in 2019, addressed accusations that he has not yet met or visited the FBOs.
“The fact is I could not meet with them during this process. My intent going forward is to ensure I’m meeting with industry representatives on the possible options. If I could talk to them directly that’s a whole different matter,” he said at the meeting.
However, the request for proposal (RFP) has been ongoing for two years.
Virginia lawmakers including U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D - Richmond) and Virginia Senate Minority Leader and State Sen. Ryan McDougle (R - Hanover), who toured the Henrico facilities, expressed concerns that the process wasn’t transparent.
“Recent news reports indicate that the Commission issued requests for proposals from FBO service firms twice in the past two years. Ultimately, the Commission canceled both requests without articulating a clear justification outlining the proposals’ shortcomings,” Rep. McClellan wrote.
Multiple businesses who work with the FBOs and Virginia Business Aviation Association (VBAA) also sent the Commission letters demanding transparency and to rethink the proposal.
“A Proprietary Exclusive airport takes on many risks and liabilities which staff will not have the luxury of a learning curve to allow it to manage. Once the damage is done, there is no coming back and the entire market suffers. It is our hope that this failure can be avoided and we can better position RIC for the growth this community deserves,” the association warned.
The Commission’s next meeting is September 24.
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