the Hampton Roads Executive Airport is located on the western edge of the City of Chesapeake
Source: ESRI, ArcGIS Online
the Hampton Roads Executive Airport is located on the western edge of the City of Chesapeake
Source: ESRI, ArcGIS Online
The only privately-owned Virginia airport listed in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems as a "Reliver" facility is the Hampton Roads Executive Airport (KPVG). The nearby Chesapeake Regional Airport is a publicly-owned facility.1
The Hampton Roads Executive Airport (KPVG) was started after World War II by private investors who expected to make a profit from former servicemen using the GI Bill of Rights to pay for flying lessons. The original "Portsmouth Airport" had three grass runways on 200 acres.
In 2000, new investors purchased the facility while it was in bankruptcy. With private, Federal, and state funding, the new owners bought over 400 more acres and expanded to the current 634 acres.
In 2000 the airport had a paved 4,000 foot long, 75-foot-wide runway. It was converted to a taxiway after a new 5,350-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, $30 million runway was completed. Modern business jets require a 5,000 foot runway.
New runway lighting and instrument landing capabilities were installed. A new public use terminal and new hangers for storing airplanes were built. The site was connected to the public sewer system, and the remaining infrastructure was upgraded. Hampton Roads Executive Airport now serves as a Reliever airport for Norfolk International Airport (ORF).
The private airport, now owned by Virginia Aviation Associates, is eligible for Federal Airport Improvement Program funding because of its designation as a Reliever airport, making it a public-use airport significant for national airport transportation. The Federal Aviation Administration has provided over $30 million in grants for capital improvements at Hampton Roads Executive Airport.
In 2024, with a $6.5 million grant from the state of Virginia, a $10 million expansion was started. It included funding for electric-charging stations for new electric aircraft, with the expectation that Hampton Roads Executive Airport will be a testing center for alternative fueled aircraft. The private airport could end up competing to serve as a base for Advanced Air Mobility companies, including development of the technology required for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) for air taxi services.
An additional $14 million was dedicated for a project to enhance the access to the airport from US 58, with construction starting in 2026. One of the owners of Virginia Aviation Associates said:2
the Hampton Roads Executive Airport is the only privately-owned Virginia airport listed on the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems and thus eligible for Federal funding
Source: ESRI, ArcGIS Online