Richmond International Airport - Richmond, VA - Modern airport

Richmond International Airport, located just 7 miles away from the center of Richmond, is one of the best-equipped airports in the eastern United States. It's also the busiest airport in Virginia, serving some 3.5 million passengers a year with around 135,000 operations.

The airport was dedicated in 1927 and saw its first regularly scheduled service in 1932. During the Second World War it was used as an Army Corps Air Base when it enjoyed rapid expansion, and this expansion has been continuing to this day.

Today it's home to three runways, the longest of which being 9,003 ft long, which accommodate for all types of aircraft and see some 135,000 operations (take-offs and landings) annually. Nine airlines currently serve the airport, offering direct flights to cities throughout the US and connections to sites the world over. Domestic airlines include Delta, American Airlines and United, with the international airline Air Canada also operating from the site.

It also operates as a cargo airport and handles 115 million pounds of cargo annually, thanks to its 100,000 sq ft of warehouse space as well as 1 million sq ft of ramp space. Packages and shipments of all types are dealt with, with the main cargo airlines being Airborne Express/DHL, FedEx and UPS.

The new terminal was completed in 2007 and offers travelers the best in food, retail and convenience stores. Browse in book stores or gift shops, grab a coffee or enjoy a sit-down meal; all areas are covered. There are banking facilities, an information center and even a chapel, and for business travelers free Wi-Fi is provided as well as there being a business center for all business needs, open from 5am to 11pm daily.

In terms of transportation a number of rental car companies are situated on the lower level of the terminal, including Avis, National and Thrifty. There are taxi and limo services also provided, and for public transport the airport is served by the Greater Richmond Transit Company bus service.

For those who prefer to drive themselves there are over 8,000 parking spaces on site. Travelers can choose from economy parking at $7 per day with a free shuttle bus to get them to the terminal, hourly parking in the garage from $2 per hour up to $24 per day, and daily parking either on the surface lot or garage costing up to $12 per day. There's even valet parking at $20 per day where passengers can leave their car and pick it up at the terminal curb, and a Cell Phone Lot for drivers waiting to pick up arriving passengers that's free of charge.

Richmond International Airport has great facilities and will appeal to locals and travelers alike, and with all the convenience of a modern airport and numerous flights daily it isn't hard to see why it's growing and improving all the time.