Wilmington airport to receive $4M for improvements

Wilmington International Airport is one of four in the state to receive millions in federal grants aimed at helping airports that are facing growing air travel demand.

A total of $45 million is being portioned to Wilmington’s ILM, Charlotte Douglas International, Raleigh-Durham International and Avery County Airport in Spruce Pine from a nearly $1 billion through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Wilmington International will receive $4 million, funding that will be used to pay for the terminal access road and terminal curb-front expansion and realignment.

Grant monies will be used to modernize 114 airports nationwide in an effort to improve passenger air travel while creating jobs, according to a release from North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s office.

Funding will go to a variety of improvements, including new baggage systems, larger security checkpoints, increasing gate capacity, and modernizing aging infrastructure throughout terminals and ground transportation.

Cooper, who along with U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made the announcement last week in Charlotte, thanked the Biden Administration and Congressional partners “for helping us improve air travel in North Carolina.”

“More people depend on air travel than ever before and it’s important that we work together to make lasting investments to deliver the transportation services people want and need,” Cooper said.

Other funding includes:

• $27 million to replace up to 16 passenger board bridges, associated ground power units and pre-conditioned air units at Charlotte Douglas.
• $12 million to fund a portion of the Terminal 2 security checkpoint, baggage claim and federal inspection station expansion at Raleigh-Durham.
• $2 million toward construction of a new general aviation terminal building at Avery County Airport.

North Carolina has 72 public airports that contribute $72 billion to the state’s economy, support more than 300,000 jobs and return $3.7 billion in state and local tax revenues, according to the release.