For the first time in a decade, international flights will arrive and depart from Richmond International Airport.
Direct flights from Richmond to Bermuda will begin in late spring through BermudAir, a 2-year-old airline based in Bermuda, a British overseas territory about 650 miles off the Eastern Seaboard. The flights will go between RIC and Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport.
The roughly two-hour flights will run Wednesdays and Saturdays, and RIC spokesman Troy Bell said the service will be year-round. The first flight will depart Richmond on June 7.
The last time international flights went in and out of RIC was 2013, when direct service to Toronto ended.
The Bermuda announcement Thursday coincided with Breeze Airways’ launch of service from Richmond to New Haven, Connecticut.
Bell said competition among airports for new routes is tight, with markets vying for a limited amount of flights.
“Airlines and airports both have access to data, so we already know what demand looks like with the current service patterns that are out there,” Bell said. He added that airlines will look for markets that are in good proximity, compatible with their aircraft and familiar with the destination.
“(Airlines) start looking at what are the best matches for that. So we try to stand out. We’re competing with every other potential community for a very finite amount of seats for flights. It’s pretty competitive,” Bell said.
Last month, RIC reported flight volume hit new annual records in 2024. Passenger traffic exceeded 4.88 million for the calendar year, while cargo volume reached 222.8 million pounds, surpassing totals for the 12-month fiscal period that ended last June.
For the first time in a decade, international flights will arrive and depart from Richmond International Airport.
Direct flights from Richmond to Bermuda will begin in late spring through BermudAir, a 2-year-old airline based in Bermuda, a British overseas territory about 650 miles off the Eastern Seaboard. The flights will go between RIC and Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport.
The roughly two-hour flights will run Wednesdays and Saturdays, and RIC spokesman Troy Bell said the service will be year-round. The first flight will depart Richmond on June 7.
The last time international flights went in and out of RIC was 2013, when direct service to Toronto ended.
The Bermuda announcement Thursday coincided with Breeze Airways’ launch of service from Richmond to New Haven, Connecticut.
Bell said competition among airports for new routes is tight, with markets vying for a limited amount of flights.
“Airlines and airports both have access to data, so we already know what demand looks like with the current service patterns that are out there,” Bell said. He added that airlines will look for markets that are in good proximity, compatible with their aircraft and familiar with the destination.
“(Airlines) start looking at what are the best matches for that. So we try to stand out. We’re competing with every other potential community for a very finite amount of seats for flights. It’s pretty competitive,” Bell said.
Last month, RIC reported flight volume hit new annual records in 2024. Passenger traffic exceeded 4.88 million for the calendar year, while cargo volume reached 222.8 million pounds, surpassing totals for the 12-month fiscal period that ended last June.
Mike – Thanks for highlighting this important development that will influence the leisure and business flying communities in Central Virginia! My hope is that RBS continues to publish stories on the progress at RIC. My other hope is that this first international flight in over a decade at RIC is just the beginning and that RIC will compete well against others cities for even more international routes. RIC will only be able to do this if the RVA Metro area continues to grow and people and businesses continue to use the airport for their travel needs – gotta fill up… Read more »
Love to see a Toronto flight return even if seasonal. It is an amazing city to explore both in the spring and fall. Or maybe spring and summer flight to Nova Scotia! WestJet has been expanded like Breeze to serve smaller city’s in the US so maybe RIC can convinces them to come south for a season.