Newport News airport shifting beyond commercial flights

Following years of declining commercial air travel, the Newport News-Williamsburg Airport is expanding its focus from traditional passenger service to emerging aviation and aerospace uses.

In May, Newport News City Council authorized $4 million to sustain the airport as it prepares to transform into a site-ready air commerce park. In 2024, a study said that the airport, which saw a decrease in passengers from 1 million in 2012 to about 142,000 in fiscal 2025, should diversify its mission to cargo logistics, advanced air mobility, aircraft manufacturing and final assembly.

The city’s investment includes $3 million for operational costs and up to $1 million for capital projects, supporting the airport’s resources and positioning Newport News as an innovation hub, says Mayor Phillip Jones, who emphasizes that passenger service will continue.

“We can pursue two parallel tracks,” he says. “There are a lot of assets at the airport that we would like to continue to develop.”

Meanwhile, the Peninsula Airport Commission, which owns and operates the airport, is moving forward.

“We want to be on the forefront of a lot of aviation innovation across the industry in the next three to five years,” says Lindsey Carney, the commission’s chair. “The commission made the decision not to turn our back on commercial air service but to look to other opportunities as well. We want to make this airport one of the best assets up and down the East Coast.”

The airport, which includes a 180,000- square-foot terminal, covers 1,800 acres. The commission wants to develop 280 acres on the west side for use in aviation air manufacturing or advanced air mobility. On the east side, which includes general aviation hangers, 50 acres can be developed to recruit businesses to house corporate aircraft. Development is also slated for 370 acres on the north side of the airport, part of which lies in York County.

The airport doesn’t have a set timeline yet, but Carney hopes the various development projects will move forward within the next three years, with sites developed in phases.

Carney anticipates the shift will produce up to 20,000 jobs once the park is fully developed. She adds that diversification may even increase passenger air travel. “We believe it will attract more airlines who will see additional activity at the airport and more people coming and going.”