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Norfolk International Airport to offer nonstop service to San Francisco

A new regional coalition could offer financial encouragement for airlines to launch direct flights to Europe from Norfolk International Airport.
Photo courtesy of Norfolk International Airport
San Francisco International Airport is a major hub for United and will offer easy connections for international flights, airport officials say.

It will be the airport’s first year-round West Coast destination.

Hampton Roads residents will be able to catch a direct flight from Norfolk International Airport to San Francisco International Airport starting March 31, 2027.

The United flights will run Wednesdays and Saturdays, arriving in Norfolk a little before 5 p.m. and leaving Norfolk a little before 6 p.m.

The schedule was planned with international flights from the West Coast in mind, including to Australia, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines, said Chris Jones, vice president and chief marketing communications officer of the Norfolk Airport Authority.

“You will arrive in San Francisco with about a three, four hour window of connectivity for flights going across the Pacific,” he said.

Currently, Breeze offers seasonal service out of Norfolk to San Diego and Los Angeles. The new direct flights to and from San Francisco will be available throughout the year. Jones said more flight options may be added depending on demand.

“We think it's going to have good two-way traffic, both with locals leaving, but also Californians and others coming over,” he said.

In a year-long study, the airport found that more than 100 people travel between San Francisco and Norfolk every day but have to make a connecting flight, making the Bay Area city Norfolk International’s fourth biggest unserved market, Jones said.

Seattle came in as the top unserved market, and San Antonio and Austin came in as second and third, he noted.

Toby is WHRO's business and growth reporter. She got her start in journalism at The Central Virginian newspaper in her hometown of Louisa, VA. Before joining WHRO's newsroom in 2025, she covered climate and sea-level rise in Charleston, SC at The Post and Courier. Her previous work can also be found in National Geographic, NPR, Summerhouse DC, The Revealer and others.