Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Airport #112 · First visited 20 September 2023
While I’ve been to the Hampton Roads region a few times, I’d never flown into Norfolk (ORF) until 2023; on prior trips, I’d used Newport News/Williamsburg (PHF) or Richmond (RIC).
ORF is a beautiful airport, looking classic while not feeling run-down. It does have an unusual configuration in that the baggage claim and arrivals loop are in a separate building connected to the parking garages, with a skybridge connecting them across the roadway. Philadelphia (PHL) has a similar (though much larger) layout, but it’s not an airport design I often see.
The square building is the main terminal (and contains the square atrium shown in the photo at the top of the page), and the longer rectangular building to the northwest contains the baggage claims, rental car counters, and parking access.
My only real complaint about the airport was that the two concourses are not connected behind security, so I only got to see the B concourse airside. The B concourse, at least, was reasonably large and had plenty of dining and retail options.
The skybridge between the main terminal and the baggage claim building (facing the main terminal).
The baggage claim building. Exits to the arrivals loop are on the left wall.
The entry to the airport required crossing a river bridge, and the airport side of the bridge was kept forested, giving the illusion that the airport was on its own little forested island in the middle of semi-urban Norfolk.
The arrivals loop, as photographed from the skybridge.
All in all, I really liked this airport—it had its own great cohesive look and feel that was distinct from nearly any other airport I’ve been to.