WOODBRIDGE — With a runway expansion and increased community involvement, Stafford Regional Airport is continuing to impact Prince William County, the airport’s vice chairman, David Ellis, said at the Prince William County Board of Supervisors meeting on September 11.
Ellis highlighted the airport’s growth and future projects to the board.
“We want to be a magnet of aviation activity for business and recreation users, providing enrichment to the community,” said Ellis.
It has been a while since Stafford Regional presented an update to the board, and Ellis shared that the airport will train its focus on increasing transportation opportunities and attracting aspiring aviators and travelers.
Most notably, Stafford Regional is expanding its runway from 5,000 feet to 6,000 feet. This is a $12 million project, said Ellis, 95 percent of which is being funded by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The extra thousand feet is significant, Ellis explained, because it will allow aircraft with higher minimum runway requirements to utilize Stafford. All aircraft have minimum runway length requirements to achieve takeoff — for example, a large jet, such as a Boeing 747, would require upward of 10,000 feet.
Many of Stafford Regional’s clients, such as Walmart, Costco, Lidl, and Wegmans, have smaller corporate jets. The expanded 6,000-foot runway will be more than adequate for a wider range of crafts, including King Air, Lear Jet, and Gulfstream models.
The environmental assessment on the runway extension was completed this past May, and construction and completion is slated for Fall 2022.
Prince William County has been committed to Stafford Regional since its inception, Ellis noted, and the airport’s success benefits the county.
70 aircraft are based at the Stafford Regional Airfield, and the airport averages 27,000 annual takeoffs and landings. An economic impact study published by the Federal Aviation Administration in 2017 found that Stafford has a $23.3 million impact in annual economic activity. That is a 27 percent increase from a 2010 study. Stafford Regional is ranked number six in Virginia general aviation airports.
“As things change in Stafford County, we have the opportunity for the airport to grow and to be ready to leverage that growth for more of an economic impact in the community,” said Ellis.
He referenced the anticipated I-95 express lane expansions through Stafford County and Northern Virginia’s projected economic growth.
Stafford Regional is located mere minutes from I-95, making it an ideal landing area for corporate clients.
“Businesses in Prince William County do need access to [Stafford], I think there’s no question about that,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman At-large Corey Stewart.
Potomac district supervisor Maureen Caddigan inquired about general passenger service, to which Ellis responded that while Stafford accommodates a number of charter airlines, private fliers, and corporate jets, the airport is not yet ready for passenger service. “We’ve looked at that a couple times and we’re just not there yet,” he said, adding that the airport is doing its best to develop responsibly.
Yet as the airport continues to push forward, Ellis sees Stafford Regional’s place as significant in the coming years. “As we continue to construct facilities, it will bring in more jobs, more traffic, and more visitors,” he said, many of which will doubtlessly be utilizing Stafford for their transportation needs.
