WILLIAMSBURG — Newport News has secured $3 million in grant funding to launch a new Mobility Innovation Center at the Newport News-Williamsburg Airport, city leaders announced.
The funding comes from a state GO Virginia grant and will support the development of new aviation technology and help build an industry around it in Newport News.
Mayor Phillip Jones said the center is part of a broader strategy to rethink how the airport is used.
"Newport News once again leading the entire region when it comes to economic development," Jones said.
The Mobility Innovation Center represents a deliberate shift away from relying strictly on commercial air travel.
"As the mobility innovation center here in Newport News this is exactly what we talked about when we said that we were going to take our airport and we're going to change our strategy," Jones said.
The goal is to transform the airport into a regional hub for unmanned systems and aerospace development.
"To be the hub of that for unmanned systems and aerospace in Hampton Roads big day for the city of Newport News," Jones said.
City leaders say partnerships will play a major role in making that vision a reality, including collaboration with regional organizations focused on economic growth.
"We're going to partner with the Hampton Roads executive roundtable. That's the regional sort of apparatus and we're going to make sure that we have those high paying jobs at economic development all focused around aviation and aerospace," Jones said.
The strategic shift comes as the airport faces challenges keeping commercial flights competitive.
"No one wants the airport to close however, commercial flights are no longer viable in terms of oil that we have to offer," Jones said.
Jones said the next steps will begin with the city budget process, followed by broader regional discussions later this year.
"So I'll say we have to pass the budget in two weeks after that we got a few events over the summer, but I look forward to come August really sitting down with not only city Council, but also the Peninsula airport commission and perhaps future cities and take a look at what we're gonna do together as a region," Jones said.
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