09/24/2026
✈️ HEART OF HENRY COUNTY COMMUNITY UPDATE:
Big Plans Taking Flight: More Than $5 Million Heading to Blue Ridge Regional Airport
One of Martinsville and Henry County’s most important pieces of transportation infrastructure is preparing for a major upgrade — and it’s a place many local residents may rarely think about.
Blue Ridge Regional Airport is receiving more than $5 million in state aviation funding toward construction of a new terminal, part of nearly $40 million in Commonwealth Aviation Fund investments recently approved for 65 public-use airports across Virginia.
For our region, this is about much more than putting up a new airport building.
It is an investment in an airport that quietly plays a role in business, emergency medical transportation, government operations, tourism and economic development throughout Martinsville, Henry County, Patrick County and the surrounding area.
🛫 More Important Than Many Residents Realize
Blue Ridge Regional Airport is located in Henry County and serves a much broader purpose than recreational flying.
According to the airport, it has a 6,000-foot runway, is home to more than 50 based aircraft and supports an average of roughly 64 aircraft operations per day. It also serves medical transports, military operations, law enforcement and local, state and federal government agencies. Two medical helicopters are based there as well.
That means the airport may be working for this community even when most of us never see an airplane take off.
Henry County officials have previously described Blue Ridge Regional as an asset supporting medical services, tourism and economic development, while continued improvements to the airport and surrounding infrastructure have been viewed as ways to create additional opportunities in western Henry County.
🏢 Why a New Terminal Matters
A terminal is often the first impression a visitor gets when arriving by private or corporate aircraft.
For a community trying to recruit businesses, attract investment and bring decision-makers into the region, that first impression matters.
When company executives or site-selection teams visit Martinsville and Henry County, they may arrive through Blue Ridge Regional Airport rather than a commercial airport hours away. A modern terminal can provide better space for passengers, pilots and business travelers while helping the airport accommodate future growth.
The Virginia Department of Aviation specifically uses Commonwealth Aviation Fund dollars for projects including airport facility construction and terminal development, with the goal of maintaining and improving Virginia’s public-use aviation system.
Blue Ridge Regional already offers services aimed at business and general aviation users, including aircraft fueling, rental cars, charter services, a business center, aircraft maintenance access and other pilot amenities.
A new terminal represents another step in modernizing that overall experience.
💼 Aviation and Economic Development Go Hand in Hand
One of the most interesting parts of this story is that airports like Blue Ridge Regional are not simply transportation facilities.
They can also function as economic-development tools.
Virginia officials emphasized that connection when announcing the new round of aviation funding, describing airports as engines for economic growth that help connect communities with businesses, investment and jobs. Blue Ridge Regional’s terminal project was one of the largest allocations listed among the Commonwealth’s regional business airports.
For Martinsville and Henry County, that can be especially important.
Our community competes with communities across Virginia and the Southeast when companies are considering where to locate or expand. Workforce, utilities, available industrial property, highways and quality of life all matter — but transportation access is part of that conversation too.
Having a capable regional airport gives the area another tool when making its case.
🚁 There’s a Public-Service Side, Too
The economic-development angle may get much of the attention, but Blue Ridge Regional also serves a very different purpose.
The airport is home to two medical helicopters and supports medical transportation operations.
That makes aviation infrastructure part of the region’s broader emergency-response network as well.
It is one of those local resources many people may never personally use — but when someone needs it, its importance becomes very real.
🏁 Tourism Has a Role as Well
Blue Ridge Regional also acts as a gateway for visitors coming into the region.
The airport promotes access to attractions including Martinsville Speedway, Henry County, Martinsville and nearby Patrick County, and its website specifically highlights the airport’s connection to NASCAR traffic and regional tourism.
For a community with major events capable of bringing visitors from outside the area, better aviation infrastructure can help strengthen that connection.
And every visitor who stays in a hotel, eats at a restaurant, buys fuel, visits an attraction or shops locally contributes something back into the regional economy.
❤️ HEART OF HENRY COUNTY’S COMMUNITY TAKEAWAY
Sometimes the infrastructure that matters most is the infrastructure we don’t think about every day.
Most of us probably drive past Blue Ridge Regional Airport more often than we fly out of it.
But behind those gates are medical helicopters, business aircraft, visiting pilots, government operations and travelers whose first experience with Martinsville and Henry County may begin right there.
That is why more than $5 million toward a new terminal is a significant investment for this community.
It is not simply about replacing or improving a building.
It is about making sure one of our region’s transportation gateways is prepared for the future — whether that future brings a corporate visitor considering Henry County for an investment, a race-weekend traveler coming to Martinsville Speedway, a medical flight responding to an emergency, or a local pilot heading into the Blue Ridge sky.
Sometimes economic development starts with a factory.
Sometimes it starts with a road.
And sometimes, it starts with a runway. ✈️❤️
💬 COMMUNITY QUESTION: How familiar are you with Blue Ridge Regional Airport? Have you ever flown in or out of it, visited the terminal, eaten there, or watched aircraft from the airport? And what would you like to see included in a new terminal?
