Aviation leaders in Hampton Roads, Virginia, are exploring opportunities to bring nonstop international flights to Norfolk International Airport, with advances in long-range aircraft technology potentially making overseas routes more economically feasible for the region.
The effort was a central topic at the State of the Airports conference on Wednesday, November 4, where airport executives, government officials and industry experts discussed regional cooperation, aviation investment and strategies to strengthen southeastern Virginia’s position in the global air travel market.
Norfolk Airport Seeks to Expand International Air Service
Norfolk International Airport (ORF) has the infrastructure needed to accommodate international flights, but airlines have yet to establish regularly scheduled nonstop service connecting the airport with overseas destinations.
Airport officials believe Hampton Roads has several advantages that could attract international carriers, including its extensive military installations, significant NATO presence and proximity to popular tourism destinations such as North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
Mark Perryman, president and CEO of Norfolk International Airport, said international airlines are increasingly examining opportunities to connect smaller metropolitan markets without requiring passengers to transfer through multiple major airports.
“(International airlines) are looking at how do the (citizens of NATO countries) who live here get home and how can they help move those people most expeditiously because most of them are living in second and third tier cities,” Perryman said. “So how do you go connect a second or third tier (region) to a second or third tier (region) without having to hop through three airports?”
Perryman confirmed that discussions with airlines about potential nonstop international routes from Norfolk are ongoing.
Airbus A321XLR Could Transform International Travel From Norfolk
Long-Range Aircraft Makes Smaller International Markets More Viable
One of the most promising developments for Norfolk is the introduction of the Airbus A321XLR, a long-range, narrow-body passenger aircraft designed to operate extended routes with fewer passengers than traditional wide-body jets.
Perryman described the aircraft as a potential “game changer” for airports seeking international service.
The A321XLR allows airlines to serve overseas destinations without filling aircraft designed to accommodate several hundred travelers, reducing the passenger demand needed to support certain routes.
Travel industry expert Scott Mayerowitz, the conference’s keynote speaker, explained that the aircraft can accommodate approximately 155 to 185 passengers, compared with roughly 400 on larger aircraft.
It also offers premium business-class seating configurations, including lie-flat seats with privacy doors. Additional fuel capacity and an advanced wing design support longer-distance operations.
The aircraft is helping create opportunities for international connections involving smaller U.S. markets, including routes linking Raleigh-Durham and Nashville with Dublin, Newark with Luxembourg, and Philadelphia with Vienna.
“If you had asked me 5 years ago if Nashville-Dublin would happen, I would have laughed at you, that just didn’t make sense economically,” Mayerowitz said. “Now it does.”
Perryman believes Norfolk is particularly well positioned among comparable airports to benefit from the aircraft’s capabilities.
Regional Cooperation Could Strengthen Hampton Roads Aviation Growth
Officials Emphasize Marketing Hampton Roads as One Economic Region
Beyond aircraft technology, conference participants stressed the importance of presenting Hampton Roads as a unified destination to airlines, investors and international businesses.
Mayerowitz pointed to regions such as Myrtle Beach, Palm Beach, Indianapolis and North Carolina’s Research Triangle, where coordinated marketing efforts have helped promote broader economic and tourism opportunities.
Rather than focusing exclusively on individual municipalities, aviation officials believe Hampton Roads could benefit from emphasizing its combined population, military infrastructure, tourism industry and business community.
“(Potential investors) don’t necessarily see those borders between jurisdictions. They see a region, they see where the population is, they see where the assets are,” said panelist Greg Campbell, director of the Virginia Department of Aviation.
Such an approach could help airlines better understand the region’s potential passenger demand while encouraging additional private investment.
Newport News and Chesapeake Airports Could Support Aviation Investment
Smaller Airports Expected to Play a Growing Economic Role
Officials also discussed how nearby airports could complement Norfolk International Airport’s expansion.
The Newport News-Williamsburg Airport is transitioning away from commercial passenger operations toward aviation manufacturing and related industrial opportunities.
Meanwhile, Chesapeake Regional Airport could provide additional capacity for aviation activities that do not require access to a major commercial passenger terminal.
Perryman said these facilities could help reduce operational pressure on Norfolk International Airport as passenger activity increases, while creating separate economic development opportunities across Hampton Roads.
Campbell emphasized that emerging aircraft technologies and new aviation platforms will require specialized manufacturing, maintenance and development facilities.
“Aviation is going through an exciting time with emerging technologies, a lot of new aircraft platforms and development, new technologies — they’re going to need places to build and maintain these things and … you don’t want those at your primary commercial airport. It’s just going to clog things up,” Campbell said. “Newport News is so well positioned for that.”
The strategy could allow Norfolk to concentrate on commercial passenger growth while neighboring airports attract aviation-related businesses and industrial investment.
International Flights Could Strengthen Hampton Roads’ Global Connectivity
Although no new nonstop international routes have been formally announced for Norfolk International Airport, aviation leaders see an opportunity to improve the region’s global connections.
The combination of the Airbus A321XLR’s long-range capabilities, Hampton Roads’ international military community and coordinated regional economic development could make Norfolk more attractive to overseas airlines.
For now, airport officials are continuing discussions with carriers while working with regional partners to position Hampton Roads for future international air service and aviation industry growth.
