Newport News Airport Highlights ‘Ultra Short’ Aircraft Amid Transition Away From Commercial Flights
A new prototype aircraft showcased its ability to take off and land over very short distances at Newport News/Williamsburg Airport this week, and city leaders said they hope to see the airport at the heart of air travel innovation.
Manassas-based Electra showcased its EL2 Ultra Short hybrid-electric aircraft, which holds two passengers and uses eight propellors to take off and land over a distance as short as 150 feet. The demonstration was the first stop on a multi-airport tour of the technology in partnership with the Virginia Department of Aviation, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration.
According to Electra Director of Public Strategy Parker Vascik, the shorter takeoffs and landings allow for more access points at airports than just standard runways, which can measure thousands of feet long.
“At Newport News, this is an opportunity to do that demonstration and in the future to show the commercial value of that at larger, more congested airports,” Vascik said.
Vascik added Newport News travelers could also reap some of the benefits, with quicker service to nearby hubs such as Richmond, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C., for $60-120 aboard the ultra shorts.
The Peninsula airport, which has struggled to stay financially viable for years, is pivoting away from commercial flights, though. Mayor Phillip Jones announced in July 2025 the city had invested $4 million toward an effort to create an air commerce park there.
The city also secured a roughly $3 million state Growth and Opportunity for Virginia grant in April to develop an FAA-aligned training, testing and research center, Jones said Tuesday.
“We are seeing a glimpse of what the future of travel will look like and the role that Newport News and our entire region will play in shaping it,” he said.
The Peninsula Airport Commission is expecting to have an FAA-approved air commerce park master plan by the end of the year.
Commercial flights aboard the ultra short aircraft aren’t expected until at least 2030, according to airport commission Executive Director Chris Morello. Instead, he said Tuesday’s demonstration was more of a first step toward future possibilities.
However, he said the airport has 500 acres ready to be developed for industrial purposes, and hopes the demonstration shows the economic potential Newport News/Williamsburg airport still possesses and how it could be a strong regional aviation asset in the future.
“We’d really like to show through this demonstration that not only will we be part of the future of passenger air traffic, we’re going to be a part of the future of advanced manufacturing,” Morello said.
Devlin Epding, 757-510-4037, [email protected]
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