Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Air topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Supervisors adopt Roanoke Regional Airport $17.5M operating budget and $38.3M capital program
Summary
The board approved the Roanoke Regional Airport Commission FY2027 operating budget (based on $17.5M revenue) and a $38.3M capital program including runway rehabilitation and terminal improvements; the airport reported record passenger traffic and a $613M regional economic impact.
The Roanoke County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Roanoke Regional Airport Commission’s FY2027 budget and capital program during the April 7 meeting.
Mike Stewart, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Airport Commission (ROA), told the board the commission adopted the operating budget using FY2026 actual revenues of $17.5 million as the baseline and expects a net operating income of slightly over $3 million in FY2027. Stewart described a capital program of approximately $38.3 million that includes rehabilitation of the primary runway, terminal improvements, readiness programs for rental‑car operations and obstruction studies. He said those capital projects would support future operations and safety.
Stewart highlighted a record year in 2025 when the airport served more than 827,000 passengers. He also cited a Virginia Department of Aviation economic‑impact study that estimated the airport’s total output at about $613 million and roughly 3,200 regional jobs supported.
Stewart reviewed a September 2025 incident in which an aircraft overran the runway and was stopped by the engineered materials arresting system (EMAS). He said the EMAS prevented injury and serious damage, and that repairs returned the system to full capability within three months. He also discussed airline route changes and noted a new daily nonstop to Dallas–Fort Worth planned to begin in early June under a minimum revenue guarantee arrangement with American Airlines.
After brief questions from supervisors on routes, general aviation usage and federal/state funding prospects, the board adopted the resolution approving the airport’s budgets by roll call (Radford, Hooker, North, Mahoney and Shepard voted yes).
