Norfolk (ORF) Airport & Passenger Statistics 2025

Page Last Updated: 24 March 2026

Norfolk International Airport sits about 8 miles northeast of downtown Norfolk beside the Norfolk Botanical Garden, where year-round greenery gives the airfield a calm, distinctive setting. Since opening in 1938, it has grown into the primary commercial airport for Coastal Virginia and the Outer Banks, connecting the region to major cities across the United States.

Overview

How many passengers fly through Norfolk International Airport each year?

Norfolk International served 4.89 million total passengers in 2025, setting another high-water mark for the airport.

Passenger traffic has remained above 4.11 million for 2022–2025 as the region’s travel demand continues to hold strong.
Before COVID-19, passenger volumes climbed steadily, reaching 3.98 million in 2019.
The pandemic hit hard, with traffic falling to 1.79 million in 2020 (down 55% from 2019, as calculated).
Recovery was swift, with totals returning above 4.11 million in 2022, then rising to new records in 2023–2025.

Note: Source is Norfolk Airport Authority December year-end passenger activity reports. Figures are calendar-year (Jan–Dec) totals; 2016–2017 values are calculated from year-end release comparisons.

How many aircraft movements take place at Norfolk International Airport each year?

Norfolk International recorded 86,317 aircraft operations in 2025, remaining above pre-pandemic activity. Total operations also stayed high in 2024 at 88,418, reflecting strong airline schedules and steady general aviation use.

Before COVID-19, ORF typically handled around 71,000–77,000 operations per year, peaking at 76,594 in 2019.
The pandemic drove a sharp drop to 47,677 operations in 2020, down about 38% from 2019.
Activity rebounded quickly to 62,126 in 2021, then returned to the mid-70,000s in 2022 and 2023.
Air carrier operations have led the growth in the mid-2020s, reaching 53,120 in 2025.

Aircraft Operations by Type at ORF (2014 – 2025)
Calendar Year	Air Carrier	Air Taxi	General Aviation	Military
2014	26,126	25,483	18,182	1,010
2015	27,295	23,517	17,621	659
2016	27,665	26,745	17,739	484
2017	29,390	24,701	17,209	567
2018	35,987	20,296	15,385	718
2019	38,098	21,679	16,055	502
2020	25,282	8,850	12,886	416
2021	38,498	7,567	15,363	525
2022	47,808	7,547	16,817	1,062
2023	48,730	7,738	15,559	1,631
2024	49,989	10,819	15,411	1,612
2025	53,120	9,898	14,258	1,372

Note: Source is FAA OpsNet (Airport Operations: Standard Report), Facility ORF, calendar years 2014–2025. Figures are total aircraft operations by category (Air Carrier, Air Taxi, General Aviation, Military). Total Operations shown in the graph above.

Which airlines carry the most passengers at Norfolk International Airport?

Delta led Norfolk International over the latest 12-month period, carrying 890,000 passengers (18.01% share) from November 2024 to October 2025.

Southwest followed with 773,000 (15.65%), while American ranked third with 703,000 (14.23%).
The top three carriers (Delta, Southwest, and American) together accounted for just under half of all passengers.
Breeze continued to hold a meaningful footprint at ORF with 460,000 passengers (9.32% share).
United carried 407,000 passengers (8.24%), while the remaining carriers combined made up 34.55% of traffic.

Note: Source is BTS. Shares are for the 12-month period November 2024–October 2025 and are based on passengers (000) for both arriving and departing service.

What are the most popular destinations from Norfolk International Airport?

Atlanta (ATL) topped the list over the latest 12-month period with 445,960 passengers from November 2024 to October 2025. Charlotte (CLT) followed with 250,400, reflecting the strength of hub-linked traffic from Norfolk.

The top destinations are dominated by major hub airports, led by ATL and CLT.
Baltimore (BWI) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) also drew strong volumes, each exceeding 140,000 passengers.
New York demand was split across both LaGuardia (LGA) and JFK, with each landing in the top ten.

Note: Source is BTS T-100 Domestic Market (U.S. Carriers). Figures cover November 2024–October 2025 and represent passengers on U.S. domestic routes.

When are the busiest months at Norfolk International Airport?

July was the busiest month in 2025, with 514,133 total passengers. Summer demand stayed consistently high, with June (496,258) and August (487,202) close behind.

Peak travel clustered in summer, with June–August each topping 487,000 passengers.
The shoulder season stayed strong, with September (418,458) and October (416,044) both above 416,000.
The slowest stretch was winter, with February (277,432) being the lowest.

Note: Source is Norfolk Airport Authority Passenger Activity Reports (monthly media releases), calendar year 2025 (Jan–Dec). Total passengers equal Enplaned + Deplaned for each month.

Norfolk Travel Resources

Car hire prices in Norfolk

How much cargo moves through Norfolk International Airport each year?

Norfolk International handled 37.90 million lb of cargo in 2025, down from 45.34 million lb in 2024. Even with the recent pullback, ORF remains a steady domestic cargo airport anchored by major integrator activity.

Cargo volumes held in the mid-60 million lb range from 2018–2021, peaking at 67.56 million lb in 2021.
Volumes eased in the early 2020s, dropping to 63.82 million lb in 2022 and 56.07 million lb in 2023.
The decline continued through 2024 (45.34 million lb) and 2025 (37.90 million lb) as the post-surge market cooled.

Note: Source is Norfolk Airport Authority December (year-end) media releases. Figures are calendar-year (Jan–Dec) totals in million pounds.

How much revenue does Norfolk International Airport generate each year?

Norfolk International generated $75.23 million in operating revenue in FY 2025, continuing a strong post-pandemic growth trend. Revenue has risen sharply since FY 2022, driven by higher passenger volumes and expanding non-aeronautical income.

Before COVID-19, annual operating revenue typically ranged between $40–43 million.
The pandemic weighed heavily on finances, with revenue dropping to $28.27 million in FY 2021.
Recovery accelerated from FY 2022, with revenue climbing to $46.71 million, then surging to $67.45 million in FY 2024 and $75.23 million in FY 2025.

Note: Source is Norfolk Airport Authority financial statements. Figures represent operating revenue for each fiscal year (ending June 30).

What is Norfolk International Airport’s on-time performance?

Norfolk International recorded 83% on-time departures and 81% on-time arrivals over the latest reporting period (November 2024–October 2025). Average delays also improved, with departures averaging 73 minutes late and arrivals 61 minutes late when delays occurred.

On-time departures dipped to 79–80% during the traffic rebound in 2022–2024, before improving to 83% in the latest period.
Arrival reliability followed a similar pattern, falling to 73% in 2022 and recovering to 81% most recently.
Cancellations declined sharply, dropping from 5.76% in 2020 to just 0.40% in the latest 12-month period.

*Airport On-Time Performance at ORF (2020–2025)**
Metric	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025*
On-Time Departures	85%	85%	79%	80%	79%	83%
On-Time Arrivals	83%	80%	73%	77%	76%	81%
Avg Departure Delay (min)	83.64	76.05	79.67	91.63	81.78	73.24
Avg Arrival Delay (min)	69.57	59.06	63.53	70.13	68.44	61.13
Cancellations	5.76%	1.54%	3.85%	2.20%	1.70%	0.40%
Flights (000)	14.4	19.3	23.1	23.4	24.7	22.1

Note: Source is BTS on-time performance data for major U.S. carriers. A delay is 15 minutes or more. Average delays apply only to delayed flights. 2025 reflects November 2024–October 2025. Number of flights (000) data for 2025 is from January to October 2025. BTS publishes average delays in decimal-minute format. As such, the values have been kept exactly as reported to avoid altering the underlying data.

Norfolk International Airport Major Expansion Projects

The Transform ORF program totals nearly $1 billion in capital improvements during the mid-2020s.

Concourse A expansion began in 2023 with a three-gate addition slated to open by 2026–2027, boosting capacity from 24 to 27 gates.
A new Federal Inspection Station (FIS) is rising alongside Concourse A to handle future international arrivals. Work started in 2024 for a 2026 opening.
Departures-terminal upgrades will modernize the ticketing lobby and security checkpoint. Groundbreaking is expected in 2026.
A Consolidated Rental Car Facility (ConRAC) is in design, with construction planned for 2026 after a contractor was selected in 2025.
ORF finished a multi-year Runway 5/23 rehabilitation in late 2022 with new pavement and lighting.
The shorter Runway 14/32 is being decommissioned in 2025 to free infield space for new development.

Major Expansion Projects at ORF
Project	Type	Status	Completion
Concourse A Expansion & FIS	Terminal/Gates	Under construction	2026
Departures Terminal Expansion	Terminal	Design phase	2026–27
Consolidated Rental Car Center	Facility	Planning	2026–27
Runway 5/23 Rehabilitation	Airfield	Completed	2022–23
Runway 14/32 Closure	Airfield	In progress	2025
On-Airport Hotel (Marriott)	Commercial	Approved	2026

Note: Project details and timelines are based on Norfolk Airport Authority capital planning documents and official project announcements.

What is Norfolk International Airport’s economic impact?

Norfolk International drove more than $2.2 billion in regional economic activity in 2023. The airport supported nearly 17,000 jobs, generating $981.6 million in job earnings and $1.377 billion in GDP.

ORF’s impact extends well beyond the terminal, supporting nearly 17,000 jobs across the regional economy.
Worker earnings tied to the airport totaled $981.6 million in 2023, alongside $1.377 billion in GDP.
Long-term investment also contributes to the airport’s footprint, with nearly $270 million in capital improvements completed from 2019–2023.

Economic Impact at ORF
Metric	Value
Regional Economic Activity (2023)	More than $2.2 billion
Jobs Supported (2023)	Nearly 17,000
Job Earnings (2023)	$981.6 million
GDP (2023)	$1.377 billion
Capital Improvements Completed (2019–2023)	Nearly $270 million

Note: Source is Norfolk Airport Authority economic impact reporting. Economic impact figures reflect 2023 impacts; capital improvement totals cover 2019–2023.

Other US Airport Statistics

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References

ORFAA: Passenger and Cargo Statistics (2014–2025)
OPSNET: Aircraft Operations (2014–2025)
BTS: Airline Carrier, Top Destinations and On-Time Statistics (2020–2025)
ORFFD: Financial Data Airport Authority (2014–2025)
ORFAR: ORF Annual Report (2024)
ORFEI: Economic Impact Study (2024)