WILMINGTON, Del. - The Wilmington Airport (ILG) will once again be categorized as a Primary Commercial Service Airport, due to the airport passing 10,000 passengers boarded on commercial flights in a year, according to the Delaware River and Bay Authority.
The authority says that the airport hit the milestone less than two months since the restoration of commercial service on February 1st by Avelo Airlines. In 2021, they say that Wilmington Airport was able to get rid of its longstanding federal designation as a General Aviation Reliever Airport.
Avelo Airlines began service at the airport with the 149-seat, Boeing Next-Generation (NG) 737 aircraft, says the authority, with flights going to five Florida destinations: Orlando (MCO), West Palm Beach (PBI), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Tampa (TPA), and Fort Myers (RSW). They say in total, almost 22,000 passengers have either boarded or disembarked an Avelo Airlines flight at the Wilmington Airport.
Having met the requirements of becoming a Primary Commercial Service Airport, the authority says that the airport will be able to get $1 million of federal funding, an $850,000 increase.
“Avelo Airlines and Wilmington Airport continue to enjoy robust demand for scheduled air service to great destinations,” said Stephen D. Williams, Deputy Executive Director of the DRBA. “The Airport is the only one in Delaware to be classified as a Primary CSA, and this important designation significantly boosts eligibility for additional federal entitlement dollars. We’re proud to achieve this milestone again and, if the trend in demand continues, 50,000 enplanements will be quickly on the horizon.”
According to the authority, the airport is now one of 383 nationwide to be classified as a Primary Commercial Service Facility.