In 1942, to support the war effort, the federal government built Norwood Airport. The completed facility included two 4,000-ft. runways (no taxiways) on a 450-acre physical plant. In World War II, Norwood’s role was to provide the Naval Air Station Squantum with a facility where its pilots could practice take-offs and landings.
At the end of the war, along with a number of other “surplus” airports, Norwood was relinquished by the federal government, and in May 1946, through a Town Meeting vote, the airport came under the Town's ownership.
Since 1946, Norwood Airport has been a public-use airport. Pilots, government agencies and the military, along with working professionals and private businesses from around the country and Canada, use our facility “24/7” — year-round. While our airport is not certificated for scheduled, commercial flights, we do handle charter services through several on-site commercial businesses.
The Norwood Airport today encompasses some 680 acres.
On average, about 165 aircraft—single and multi-engine turboprops, pistons, jets and helicopters—base year-round here at Norwood.
The main runway, which is 4,007 feet long and 100 feet wide, has approach lighting and precision path indicator systems, as well as localizer and GPS instrument approaches.
The second runway, for daylight use only, is 3,995 feet long, 75 feet wide.
Of the state’s public use airports, Norwood remains one of the busiest. Our airport, on average, accommodates about 60,000 take-offs and landings each year. These often require coordination between air traffic controllers at Norwood and those at Logan.
An independent 2015 study, through the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, determined that Norwood Airport today provides annual economic returns of more than $50 million.
Our airport remains one of the state’s most vital air transportation hubs.
The airport management team reports to a three-member, citizen/volunteer Airport Commission, under Chairman Mark Ryan and Vice-Chairman, Michael Sheehan.
The Airport Department receives its operating budget via an appropriation from Town Meeting. During the fiscal year, the airport draws revenue—through land leases to aviation and non-aviation businesses, aircraft tie-down leases, fuel flowage fees, jet fuel taxes, payments in lieu of taxes, as well as permit and badging fees. These revenues are then returned to the Town’s General Fund.
The Federal Aviation Administration recent and updated information
