ROANOKE, Va. – The Roanoke County Board of Supervisors will be asking the Commonwealth to provide funding for the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport as part of its 2023 legislative priorities.
Each year, the board comes up with a list of about four or five items they want to ask about funding from state legislators.
Paul Mahoney, Chairman of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors, said typically, the list is composed items relating to schools, broadband, and more, but this year, they chose to add funding for the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport.
“Economic development is critical. We need not only to keep our existing businesses here but also we’re trying to encourage new businesses to come here,” Mahoney said. “If we don’t have a good first-class airport, our region loses. We believe our airport is critical, critical to the success of not just Roanoke County but the entire region.”
Mahoney also has been reading national news of smaller airports and cities losing out on airline services.
“Legacy airlines are withdrawing from smaller airports. They’re removing service from smaller airports and smaller cities and that’s dangerous to us If we ever get on that list,” Mahoney said.
Right now, the board is waiting to see what airport director Mike Stewart and his team come up with in their comprehensive plan before they’ll have a final number to request from the state.