Plans show modern airport terminal

By Uriah A. Kiser

Published: August 14, 2008

STAFFORD — Plans were unveiled Tuesday for the construction of a new terminal at Stafford Regional Airport.

The proposed facility would hold up to 300 people, and would be complete with conference rooms, administrative offices for airport authority staff, a pilots’ lounge and passenger concierge area, according to Terry Ammons, the architect who has submitted designs for the proposed facility.

Though funding for the project is still being secured, most of it is expected to come from the state, with a smaller portion being paid by the regional airport authority, according to Ed Wallis, general manager of the airport. The airport authority includes members from Stafford and Prince William counties, as well as the City of Fredericksburg.

“This is really a gateway project for the area that will have to meet the public’s expectations,” said Ammons.

Wallis said the concept for the new terminal has been in the works for the past two years, and if the project receives final approval, the new terminal could be operational within18 months.

The authority estimates the new building could cost nearly $2 million, according to public documents.

The airport currently uses a trailer as its terminal, which houses administrative staff and hosts monthly airport authority meetings. That building suffered water damage when a tornado struck the area in May. The authority has been working with their insurance company in replacing the trailer with another similar building. Wallis said its replacement could be in use as early as next month.

The authority said it must pay the upfront costs totaling $35,000 to replace the damaged building, but is expecting a full reimbursement from the insurance company.

“I think the terminal design is good and will lead the way in providing needed capacity for general aviation,” said Vernon Torney, vice president of the airport authority.

The terminal design appears to take cues from Manassas Regional Airport, which added a modern terminal building in 1996. That airport, which is Virginia’s largest municipal airport, also serves as the home of Colgan Air, a small commuter airline that operates a fleet of 19-passenger twin turbo propeller planes. The airline carries passengers to small and medium sized cities. Virginia State Senator Charles Colgan founded the airline in 1992. 

Torney said it could be some time before Stafford’s airport could see a commercial passenger service similar to Colgan Air, noting it isn’t even on the books right now.

Both privately-owned planes and corporate jets currently use the airport, as it is marketed as an easy access point to Washington, D.C. for business travelers.

The total number of aircraft using the airport continues to trend down, with only an estimated 412 aircraft landing and taking off from the facility in July, according to airport figures. Fuel sales, the airport’s main source of income, were up for the month topping more than 15,000 gallons sold.