The first part of the Wilmington International Airport’s $60 million terminal expansion project is expected to wrap up this month, said Granseur Dick, the airport’s planning and development director.

The $1.8 million contract was to move ILM’s TSA baggage screening devices to prepare for work in the next phase of construction.
 
The three-part expansion and renovation project, which got underway in October, is slated to make upgrades and add capacity to the previous terminal built in 1989. It also includes new gates and equipment modernization, Dick said. Construction is expected to last until the summer of 2022.
 
The project’s second phase is scheduled to start in April. Work on that $9.2 million contract will be carried out until 2020. This part will expand the existing terminal, provide new airline ticket offices and grow the ticket lobby, as well as add a new outbound baggage area for airline crew.
 
Work under the two contracts – both awarded to Monteith Construction Corp. – will be paid for through $11.9 million in state funds approved by the General Assembly in 2017. A portion of those funds was also used to purchase and install a new passenger boarding bridge last spring.
 
The remainder of the project is projected to cost $42 million and includes expanding TSA checkpoints, baggage claim areas and gate areas as well as building a new concourse. The work is anticipated to go out for bid this fall, with construction slated to begin in early 2020.
 
The Federal Aviation Administration has programmed $20 million in funds for this work, Dick said, adding that ILM will also pursue state funds or could dip into ILM’s reserves, if needed, to fund the remainder of the project and keep it moving forward.
 
The total figure for the entire project also includes about $6.5 million for engineering, architectural and other expenses, he said.
 
When the project is complete, the size of the airport will increase from 93,000 square feet to about 179,000 square feet, said Dick, adding that the number will continue to fluctuate as designs are finalized.
 
The dramatic increase in size is needed at the airport, which could hit a million-passenger milestone of inbound and outbound travelers this year.