Wilmington, NC (October 4, 2019)— The Wilmington International Airport (ILM) recently developed and shared a passenger survey, with a goal of receiving customer feedback regarding ILM’s future terminal and amenities. ILM received 4,076 responses to its passenger survey. Those responses were reviewed, analyzed, and presented to the New Hanover County Airport Authority at the October 2nd board meeting. (Review the Analysis)
“It’s important to our team to provide a platform for community input. Hearing directly from travelers allows us to be educated about what amenities and concessions they would like to see at ILM, and helps shape our planning and decision-making,” stated Erin McNally, Marketing Specialist.
A few key take-aways included:
- Food choices/restaurants/bars, charging/outlets, and coffee/coffee shop are some of the favorite airport services/amenities that passengers use while traveling through airports. (nationally or internationally)
- When traveling through ILM, passengers stated they are most likely to use 1) premium wifi, 2) a work/quiet zone, and 3) a common use or V.I.P lounge.
- Passengers shared they are most likely to patronize a local business.
- Passengers expressed interest in grab & go food options.
- Passengers stated the meal they were most likely to purchase (at an airport) is breakfast.
- The type of menu passengers were most interested in seeing included: 1) locally/regionally sourced and/or farm to table, 2) specialty coffee & café items such as baked goods or sandwiches, 3) traditional “American” (burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, salads, etc). There was also interest in a (local) brewpub.
- When asked what restaurant they’d love to see at ILM, top places mentioned included: Chick-fil-a, Port City Java, Starbucks, and a local restaurant (in general). Numerous local restaurants and coffee shops were mentioned.
- Passengers stated they were most likely to patronize retail with news/souvenirs/sundries or a Coastal/Cape Fear inspired shop.
- When asked what retail they’d love to see at ILM, top responses included local (local art/local gifts/local store) and None/Don’t Need/Not Interested.
- Overall, respondents were aware of the terminal expansion and had been made aware of the expansion through a variety of marketing and communication efforts.
According to Carol LeTellier, Business Development Director, “Moving forward ILM will share relevant information with consultant groups, meet with current concessionaires, respond to potential concessionaires, and incorporate feedback into phase 3 of the terminal expansion.”
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About the Wilmington International Airport: The Wilmington International Airport serves southeastern North Carolina with commercial air service on Delta, American Airlines, and United. In 2018, ILM welcomed 934,058 passengers annually. ILM services 8 non-stop destinations (ATL, CLT, PHL, LGA, DCA, IAD, ORD, DFW); allowing for convenient domestic and international travel. The Wilmington International Airport is the fifth largest airport in North Carolina. The NCDOT Division of Aviation’s 2018 report estimated ILM’s economic impact at $1.752 billion and nearly 13,000 jobs. For more information on ILM, please visit flyILM.com
