Virginia Air Transportation System Plan Update

2003 Technical Report and Executive Summary

Virginia's ability to provide the flying public with access to the global marketplace can be directly attributed to the time, energy and resources it has spend on developing a world-class airport system.

The Commonwealth has a rich heritage of airport system planning, publishing its first aviation system plan, Aviation in Virginia, in 1949. The 2002 Virginia Air Transportation System Plan (VATSP) Update is the Commonwealth's fourth air transportation system plan, and like previous plans, presents an airport system that will enable all of Virginia's regions to access the rest of the world, creating new economic opportunities for all Virginians.

The Virginia Department of Aviation is charged with determining the extent, type, nature, location, and timing of airport development in the Commonwealth with the goal of establishing a viable, balanced and integrated system of airports. The update to the VATSP assists the Department in accomplishing that mission.

The VATSP Update was performed to ensure that our State Airport System continues to effectively serve the needs of Virginia's residents and visitors, and provides the necessary infrastructure and technology to facilitate healthy economic development across the Commonwealth.

This study represents a blueprint for the Department of Aviation to guide the future development of Virginia's airport system by identifying the type, location, timing and extent of airport development necessary to maintain an efficient and geographically balanced system of airports.