WILMINGTON – Wilmington International Airport will receive $3 million in federal Airport Improvement Program funding to expand its apron as the airport continues a broader $130 million expansion.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced the award Sept. 25. The federal notice identifies the Wilmington project as an apron expansion and says Airport Improvement Program grants support airfield infrastructure and safe, efficient airport operations.
An apron is the paved area where aircraft park, load, unload and conduct ground operations. WECT reported the Wilmington award is part of the latest grant round and comes as ILM continues a broader $130 million expansion.
The grant adds federal capital for an operating area used directly by aircraft, airlines and ground crews. The FAA also listed grants for projects at airports in San Antonio and Abilene, Texas, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
The federal notice and WECT report do not identify the Wilmington project’s total cost, required local match, construction schedule, contractor or related hiring. The award establishes funding for the apron expansion; the sources do not say construction has started.
Featured image: An American Airlines aircraft on the existing apron at Wilmington International Airport on July 31, 2023. Credit: DiscoA340/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. The photograph was cropped and resized, then placed above the approved NC Business Desk footer.