Wilmington Airport to triple terminal size with $10M expansion project

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The Delaware River and Bay Authority unveiled plans to triple the size of the terminal at Wilmington Airport.

With roots dating back to World War II, Delaware’s Wilmington Airport (ILG) has undergone many transformations over the years. The most impactful came when the county leased the airport to the DRBA for 30 years, which set the stage for significant infrastructure investments.

Since Avelo Airlines restarted commercial passenger flights out of Wilmington Airport in 2022, the airport has struggled to meet demand because of limited aircraft and terminal capacity. However, that’s set to change with the upcoming expansion, according to DRBA Executive Director Thomas J. Cook.

“We have a terminal right now that can really only fit one plane full of customers at a time. Which really extends out to at least a 90-minute period where you can’t have the next flight come along,” he said. “So this [expansion] really takes the size of the terminal and expands it threefold to 7,500 square feet.”

This week, officials celebrated the groundbreaking on the project thanks to a $5.6 million federal grant from the bipartisan infrastructure bill that will fund more than half of the project’s total cost of nearly $10 million.

The soon to be 7,500-square-foot terminal will provide a more flexible schedule and enhanced customer experience, including additional passenger gates, improved baggage handling, an extra security lane for faster Transportation Security Administration screening and more amenities.