At ILM, we are fortunate to have all types of passengers coming and going through the airport. It is an every changing effort to attempt to recognize and meet the needs of our flyers. We pride ourselves in offering a convenient and relaxing way to travel. However, when your customer base is both wide and constantly changing, your efforts to meet your customers' needs must also be wide and consistent with their needs. Over the past several months, ILM has been evaluating our customer base and exploring ways to meet its needs, even the ones our customers didn’t know they had!

Do you remember your first flight? The first time you ever flew in an airplane? Maybe you still have your “wings”? Oftentimes, new travelers experience a heightened sense of anxiety and nervousness before traveling, especially if it’s their first time flying. This precise reason is why we implemented a program called Comfort Canines at ILM. Numerous studies show that animals help reduce stress, help calm young children, and increase socialization. Our particular program focuses on relaxing travelers through the use of animals, particularly dogs. One of our regular canines is named Olive. Her job is to greet people who show an interest in meeting and petting her. Recently, Olive aided one particular family returning home with their son's remains. Olive was able to give them a little peace and calmness. The Comfort Canines program is one of many ways that we help make the travel experience comfortable and less stressful. 

Another way that we’ve expanded to better serve our passengers is through the use of social media. ILM currently operates an active Facebook and Twitter profile that allow customers to share their experience in the airport, enter contests and giveaways, post pictures and keep up with behind-the-scenes happenings at ILM. While not all comments are always positive (but most are!), these avenues give us an opportunity to respond to customer service compliments or concerns in real-time. Even though we can’t always fix every issue, Facebook and Twitter help open a line of communication on how we’re doing and how we can improve. If you haven’t found us on Facebook or Twitter yet, be sure to tweet us at @ILMairport or like us on Facebook. 

In congruence with our award-winning customer service, we also listened to our passengers when it came to our in-house, complimentary Wi-Fi. In the past, we’ve always offered complimentary Wi-Fi. When we implemented this service, we didn’t anticipate the strong demand that it would bring which ultimately resulted in a substandard bandwidth strength. Last month, we partnered with Atlantic Computer Services of Wilmington to complete a total overhaul of our Wi-Fi system. Now, not only do you get complimentary Wi-Fi, but you also get a connection that is fast, reliable and consistent. 

As our customer base continues to grow, we acknowledge the need to grow our services. Through the implementation of these and other services, we hope that we have not only met, but exceeded your expectations of our slogan, “Relax… Enjoy the Experience. Fly ILM!” Thanks for always checking ILM when traveling and we hope to see you soon!

Jon Rosborough became director of the Wilmington International Airport (ILM) in November of 1998. As the fourth largest airport in North Carolina, ILM serves over 800,000 passengers annually and offers service on both Delta Airlines and US Airways/American Airlines, ILM services 4 non-stop hubs which allow for convenient domestic and international travel. ILM prides itself on offering award winning customer service and convenience with multiple flight options, easy security screening, and close parking. For more information about ILM, please visit www.flyILM.com, like us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/flyilm, or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ILMairport.