Norfolk International Airport is talking with two European airlines as it seeks to establish direct service to Europe, CEO Mark Perryman said Wednesday, Nov. 4. Speaking at a regional aviation discussion in Portsmouth, Perryman said the airport had identified carriers whose aircraft and connecting destinations fit its plans, though he did not name the airlines.
The Hampton Roads Chamber hosted the State of the Airports event at Rivers Casino Portsmouth, bringing together leaders to discuss the region’s airports and their economic roles. Perryman told WTKR News 3 that a call with one of the two airlines was coming soon and expressed hope that it would help move the effort forward. He cited the area’s NATO community as an attraction for European carriers, noting Norfolk’s position as the alliance’s North American capital.
The European discussions follow Norfolk International’s launch of a direct international route to Cancun earlier this year. Perryman has previously outlined possible European destinations. In a January 2025 interview with News 3, he mentioned Dublin through Aer Lingus, Frankfurt through Lufthansa and Paris through another carrier. He did not disclose whether any of those airlines were involved in the current talks.
Regional identity also emerged as an issue in expanding air service. Keynote speaker Scott Meyerowitz, an award-winning travel consultant, said that, as a New Yorker, he had not understood the distinctions among Hampton Roads, Norfolk, Newport News and Virginia Beach. Panelists described better cooperation among major tourism destinations in the region. Perryman said Norfolk International also wants to strengthen its promotion as the airport serving North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
Perryman said airports in Newport News, Chesapeake and Suffolk could handle more industrial, private and military flights while Norfolk concentrates on expanding its air service options. Chesapeake City Manager Chris Price said airports in his city were ready to take on some private and military traffic, giving Norfolk room to add commercial routes and larger aircraft. He said Chesapeake Regional and Hampton Roads Executive cooperate despite competing with each other to some extent.
On the Peninsula, leaders discussed Newport News-Williamsburg Airport’s continuing shift from commercial service toward air commerce. Bob McKenna, president of the Virginia Peninsula Chamber, pointed to the Peninsula’s advanced manufacturing sector as a reason the airport is suited to aviation-related manufacturing opportunities.
The discussion connected Norfolk’s ambitions for additional passenger service with broader questions about how the region uses its aviation facilities. Perryman said progress depends on identifying the role each airport can and should play within Hampton Roads.
