Norfolk airport hotel is ‘desperately needed’

An influx of 200-seat airplanes is bringing record numbers of passengers into Norfolk International Airport, leading officials to fast-track infrastructure upgrades and pursue construction of an airport hotel.

There is high demand for on-site lodging, especially among airline crews and travelers taking early morning flights, who often stay at downtown Norfolk hotels, says Norfolk Airport Authority President and CEO Mark Perryman. “Norfolk alone is down 1,000 hotel rooms. We’re contributing to filling that gap.”

Perryman envisions a 150-room hotel being built where the airport’s north short-term parking lot now sits, with the airport leasing the land to a hotel developer.

An airport hotel is “desperately needed — the sooner the better,” says Kurt Krause, president and CEO of VisitNorfolk, the nonprofit city convention and visitors bureau. Norfolk expects to reach 70% hotel occupancy this year. “When it hits that mark, the demand [will be] stronger than the inventory,” Krause adds, noting that the downtown hotel business has grown as more groups sponsor events.

More than 4 million passengers traveled through the airport last year, the busiest in its 84-year history. “We’re having to accommodate larger aircraft and process more passengers, which has taxed our operations,” Perryman says.

In April, a $30 million project will get underway to rehab the airport’s main runway, to be completed in late 2024.

And with renovations to two garages almost done and passenger loading bridge replacements targeted for completion this year, the airport also is accelerating terminal improvement projects in its 10-year capital plan. “Our terminal and concourses need to be modernized and expanded partly because of the larger aircraft,” Perryman says.

Beginning next summer, Concourse A will be redesigned, adding seven gates and a modern jet bridge. A central Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint will be established, and the ticketing and baggage screening areas will be consolidated.

Moving sidewalks will be reinstalled across pedestrian bridges this summer, largely funded by $5.4 million from the Federal Aviation Administration.

With the March arrival of Spirit Airlines, eight airlines now fly into and out of Norfolk. Outbound flights average 81% full capacity.

That bodes well for the region’s ability to attract and retain businesses, says Hampton Roads Alliance President and CEO Doug Smith.

“Passenger experience and connectivity is critically important,” Smith says. “It’s a very positive story to share with companies here and companies we are trying to attract.”