Delaware River and Bay Authority officials confirmed that the Wilmington – New Castle Airport (ILG) moved past 10,000 boardings for the year, officially becoming a Primary Commercial Service Airport (CSA) and losing its earlier designation as a General Aviation Reliever Airport.
The designation will be effective for the Federal Fiscal Year 2023.
Under the designation, ILG wil be able to get a minimum annual federal entitlement of $1 million, a net increase of $850,000. As a General Aviation Reliever Airport, ILG had been designed to get $150,000 annually.
“Wilmington/New Castle Airport is now one of only 385 airports nationwide – and the only such airport in Delaware – to be classified as a Primary CSA,” said Stephen D. Williams, deputy executive director and airport director of the DRBA. “In addition to the boost in federal entitlement dollars, the primary CSA designation also has significance within the airline, cargo, and commercial airport communities. It further validates the airport’s regional recognition as a low-cost leader with growing preference as an alternative, ease of use secondary airport serving the Philadelphia Metro area. This milestone confirms that our customers really like our small airport, no hassle travel experience.”
On February 11, scheduled commercial service returned to Delaware as Frontier Airlines resumed service to Orlando. Frontier serves the ILG market with the 180-seat, Airbus A320 two to three times a week.
With the designation, the airport stands to earn even more entitlement dollars if and when annual boarding numbers rise from 10,000 to 50,000.
In addition to entitlement dollars, ILG also earns revenue from the FAA’s Passenger Facility Charge program. The airport’s current PFC program is authorized to collect up to $1.3 million until 2024. Each passenger boarding nets the airport $4.39.
Frontier down to twice weekly Orlando flights until spring