Twenty-two months from the groundbreaking of the site, Winchester Regional Airport revealed its “Terminal of the Future,” at a grand opening on January 9th.
Located in the northwest corner of Virginia, the unveiling of the modern building brought together Virginia’s aviation community, airport leaders, and Winchester’s residents. The new terminal’s 70 percent increase in size matches the region’s concept for the airport, which now includes three rentable spaces as well as meeting rooms for visitors to use during their stay. In addition, the terminal is now the new home to the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber – the local commerce advocacy group.
The Commonwealth of Virginia contributed $11.9 million to turn the idea into reality. Total cost of the project was $14.2 million, when adding in the local share.
In his remarks during the event, Virginia’s Secretary of Transportation, Shep Miller, saw more than an organized structure of concrete, wood, and glass. “This is not just a building, this is a vision,” Miller said.
The airport’s leadership is clearly looking into the future. Nick Sabo, executive director of Winchester Regional Airport, described his view of the new terminal. “The terminal represents our vision to reimagine the role of a General Aviation airport,” he said. “The facility was designed to meet the infrastructure needs for the next generation of aircraft, but also to create space for the community to engage with aviation in new and meaningful ways.”
Not only will the new building enable Winchester to grow its traditional aviation businesses, but it will also allow it to move into the realm of cutting-edge technology. The new terminal has a specific focus on a world where aircraft have no pilots on board. This concept, called Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), is a rapidly emerging field in aviation and, when the time comes, Winchester, VA, will have the terminal to host these futuristic aircraft.
Some of the recent successes of the airport, such as the addition of flyADVANCED to its roster of FBOs will serve its community of pilots and students. Winchester is also attracting non-pilots to the airport as the host of the “Girls in Aviation Day.” In fact, its collaboration with the Handley Regional Library System – called “Storytime at the Airport” – just passed the one-year mark in December.
Greg Campbell, director of the Virginia Department of Aviation, commented on how an airport can be a first impression for visitors to Winchester. “Airports really are front doors to their communities,” he said. “You all have really established a wonderful front door. It’s not the building; it’s the feeling you get when you walk into the facility.”
