The Norfolk Airport Authority Board of Commissioners announced that Robert Bowen will retire as executive director of Norfolk International Airport (ORF) effective March 1, 2022.
Bowen has been working at the airport for nearly five decades and joined the Airport Authority full time in 1988 as the director of operations. He then served as the deputy executive director before and as the executive director since March 1, 2016.
Since 2016 under his leadership, the Airport Authority has initiated 120 capital improvement projects at a combined cost of $170 million. Bowen also oversaw an expansion of air service to include the ultra-low-cost carriers of Allegiant, Frontier and Breeze.
“Robert Bowen has devoted over four decades of dedicated service and leadership to Norfolk International Airport,” said Malcolm Branch, chairman of the Norfolk Airport Authority Board of Commissioners. “His steady hand, particularly through the pandemic, leaves the airport poised to quickly return to pre-COVID service.”
The selection process for the next executive director will be conducted by the Norfolk Airport Authority Board of Commissioners.
