PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Norfolk International Airport is in contact with two European airlines in the ongoing effort to offer direct flights to Europe from Norfolk, airport CEO Mark Perryman revealed on Wednesday.
Perryman was one of several regional leaders at a State of the Airports discussion at Rivers Casino Portsmouth, which focused not only on ORF, but the region's other airports and their place in the economy.
Hosted by the Hampton Roads Chamber, the event featured keynote speaker Scott Meyerowitz, an award-winning travel consultant, who talked about one barrier the region faces in trying to grow air service.
"I will be very honest, as a New Yorker, I did not realize the difference between Hampton Roads, Norfolk, Newport News, Virginia Beach," Meyerowitz said.
However, panelists pointed to improved regional cooperation between the area's major tourist hubs. Now, Perryman said he'd like to see airports in Newport News, Chesapeake and Suffolk take on more industrial, private and military flights as he works to grow Norfolk's air service options.
"Talk a little bit about the differences in how airlines evaluate the transatlantic routes," said moderator Aubrey Layne, who served Virginia Secretary of Transportation under former Governor Terry McAuliffe.
Perryman responded with an example of how the area's NATO community — Norfolk is the North American capital of the alliance — is a draw to European carriers.
"We've narrowed it down to two airlines that have the right aircraft type and connect us into the right city system," Perryman told News 3 after of the effort. "We have a call very soon with one of those airlines and hopefully we'll have some good movement coming out of that."
Earlier this year, Norfolk International launched a direct international flight to Cancun, but Perryman has been candid about his push for Europe. In January of 2025, he named potential targets in an interview with News 3:
"Dublin on Aer Lingus, Lufthansa into Frankfurt, some other carrier into Paris."
But he was tight-lipped on the carriers the airport is speaking with right now.
In addition to building cooperation among communities in Hampton Roads, Perryman says ORF is working to better tout itself as the airport serving North Carolina's Outer Banks.
Chesapeake City Manager Chris Price was also part of the panel and said airports in Chesapeake are prepared to take some of the private and military flight burden from ORF so it can continue to add commercial routes and larger planes.
"If Norfolk needs something, we can pivot — if it's Chesapeake Regional or Hampton Roads Executive and even though to some extent they're competitors, they really do cooperate," Price said.
The discussion also touched on the shifting role of the Peninsula's airport, where leaders described an ongoing move from commercial service to air commerce that News 3 has been reporting on.
"The Peninsula is kind of an advanced manufacturing hub," said Bob McKenna, president of the Virginia Peninsula Chamber. "For that reason, the Newport News-Williamsburg Airport is very suitable for, and this is gonna be my mantra, aviation-related advanced manufacturing opportunities."
Perryman said the path forward is about defining each airport's purpose.
"Recognizing what each airport's role can and should be within the region."
Click here to see how we use AI at WTKR News 3.
