Visitors to the Norfolk International Airport can expect to see massive changes over the next few years, starting with construction that broke ground Monday.
Nearly $1 billion worth of improvements are underway as part of a larger capital improvement plan. The projects — which include renovations to Concourse A, runway rehabilitation and a new airport Marriott hotel — are some of the most significant modernization efforts to the airport to date, which has been in its current location for 50 years.
Monday’s groundbreaking was for a new international arrivals area that will have a U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspection facility and Global Entry processing center. Airport officials say the goal is to streamline arrivals for international passengers.
As luggage carts rattled between terminals and airplanes droned overhead during the ceremony, airport leaders and city and state officials dug up some dirt on the spot the new facility will be located, off of Concourse A.
The new customs facility is good for business, said airport president and CEO Mark Perryman.
“This initial project is going to allow us to attract international service,” he said. “If we don’t have a good international arrivals facility, we’re not going to attract an airline.”
The airport does not currently have regular international flights arriving to or departing from Norfolk, but it can process international passengers. The new customs area is meant to improve existing facilities and speed up the time it takes to grant passengers entry to the country — an attractive feature for airlines looking for international connections in the U.S.
Construction of the customs facility will cost $24.5 million, Perryman said. The airport received $9 million in federal funds for the facility — $6 million under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $3 million in congressionally directed spending, secured by Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. The rest of the cost will be paid with passenger facility charges and user fees the airport collects.
The customs facility is expected to be complete by late 2025 or early 2026.
The international arrivals area is only one piece of the large-scale capital project. Construction on the Marriott hotel and new moving walkway are due to begin this year, but there’s not a definite start date for either. A runway rehabilitation that’s currently underway is due to be complete this fall.
Later projects include a new rental car center and a renovation of Concourse A that will add three new gates.
State Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Miller III, who flew into Norfolk the night before the event, said he looked forward to the return of the moving walkway.
