NORFOLK, Va. — If 2025 saw a lot of changes at Norfolk International Airport, 2026 is taking it several steps further — from the moment travelers enter the airport to the moment their flight takes off.
At the start of each of the last three years, News 3 anchor Anthony Sabella has met with ORF CEO Mark Perryman to preview construction for that year as part of the airport's $1 billion capital improvement campaign, Transform ORF.
"2026 is almost the apex year. This is where everything is gonna really start going," said Perryman in his fourth interview with Sabella — showing News 3 around the inside the soon-to-be open Concourse A expansion.
Concourse A expansion
Set to open in March or April, the expansion of Norfolk International Airport's Concourse A will feature three new gates occupied by American Airlines, along with new restrooms, a pet relief area and a bar.
"There's gonna be seating all around, on either side, the normal traditional seating and then you'll have the three gates here on the end and then the High Tide Bar and Grill here in the middle," Perryman visualized amid ongoing construction.
The $25 million expansion — notable for its higher ceiling and glass walls — is part of an effort to meet growing passenger demand at the airport and larger planes flying in and out. It's at the end of the concourse and still separated from operating areas by a temporary wall.
International Arrivals facility
The first project to finish in 2026 will be ORF's new Customs and Border Patrol facility located off Concourse A just north of the airport's north short-term parking lot.
Scheduled to open in January, the space will overhaul the airport's customs operations — processing passengers from the new Cancun flight and any other future international direct service.
It will also serve as a location for interviews for the U.S. Global Entry program.
Rental Car facility
Last year, the airport cleared a wooded area just south of the south short-term lot to make room for a new car rental facility to house ORF's rental operations.
Perryman expects construction to begin in the summer with a planned opening in late 2027.
Once finished, rental companies will move operations from the Arrivals terminal. The facility will have its own parking garage for rental vehicles, freeing up valuable space in the airport's parking structures that's currently used to park rentals. Quick turnaround facilities in the new rental space will also save companies from having to take vehicles off site for servicing.
The facility will connect to the Departures terminal via a sky bridge.
Consolidating Security
This fall, Perryman says the airport will begin work consolidating its two security checkpoints.
Currently, travelers have to go through security after entering Concourse A or B. If they get through and realize their gate is in the other concourse, they have to go back out to the lobby to the correct concourse and then go through TSA a second time, wasting valuable minutes as their boarding time approaches.
The consolidation project will see the two checkpoints combined into one larger checkpoint in the lobby where The Local restaurant, Burger King and Hudson News are currently located. Those businesses will be removed and travelers will be able to move freely between concourses.
Concessions options with a focus on local
The airport is preparing to revamp its concessions program — announcing deals with two new operators late last year.
Perryman says current concessions are split 50-50 in their locations before and after security, which is inefficient for people trying to catch flights.
The new program — to be implemented over the next two years — will see the vast majority of concessions options placed after security and include numerous local brands, including Warriors Taphouse, CoVA Brewing Company, Town Center Cold Pressed, Ghost Kitchen and more.
Other projects + 2027 and beyond
While all this construction happens at the airport, travelers will notice changes around the airport too.
Last year, Runway 14/32 — a historic, but shorter perpendicular runway to the main runway — was closed to allow for the creation of a second main entrance into the airport via Robin Hood Road.
Perryman says construction is picking up on that entrance and a new intersection as drivers come into airport.
At the Departures terminal, work is expected to begin in early 2027 on a new ticketing area situated directly across from the Arrivals building, as opposed to the two ticketing areas currently on either side of Departures.
And although a previous development deal fell through last summer, Perryman says the airport still plans to build an on-site hotel over the north short-term parking lot.
"We're kind of going back to the drawing board. We've hired a hotel consultant to assist us," he told News 3. "But we're going to be looking at are we going to put it back out to a third-party developer? Are we going to build it ourselves? Or, is there something in between?"
The goal is for everything to be finished by late 2028, early 2029, Perryman says.
"I'm very proud of what we accomplished here in the last four years," he said. "When we're finished, I think it's gonna be a facility that, not only we as airport staff are proud of, but I think the whole community is going to be very happy."
