Record passenger traffic at ILM

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The flow of passengers in and out of Wilmington International Airport was up 11 percent in October. That was part of a record-setting three-month period.

According to ILM Director Jon Rosborough, more competetive ticket fares and an increase of direct flights to major US destinations helped boost passenger traffic.

Traveling to Myrtle Beach and Raleigh-Durham for flights used to be the cheaper option, but now fares both in and out of ILM sometimes beat those at competing airports.

"I’m from Wilmington, and this is a smaller airport. There’s no rush. It’s very easy to check in and its very convenient," ILM passenger Mona Kaur said.

And the future looks bright for travelers looking for more direct flights to major destinations. Non-stop service to New York, Orlando, Philidelphia and Atlanta are among the top ten destinations that ILM currently offers.

"Right now we are looking at places such as Chicago, Boston, Ft. Lauderdale, Washington, DC, and Denver. Those are the destinations right now that are remaining in the top ten that we don’t have," Rosborough said.

The growing number of passengers is also helping to increase concession sales and parking revenue for the airport.