Passenger numbers at the Wilmington International Airport rose in the month of February compared to the same month last year, despite an overall industry slowdown because of the coronavirus.
More than 74,300 passengers traveled through ILM in the month of February, an increase of 14% from the nearly 65,000 passengers the previous February.
That February total included more than 37,400 passengers departing and nearly 37,000 passengers arriving at the airport last month.
Cargo at ILM, however, dropped. Cargo statistics are recorded by the pound and are classified as mail, freight and express, airport officials said.
In February, more than 197,500 pounds of cargo moved through the airport, a 10% dip from the 218,700 pounds through ILM that same month in 2019.
The passenger numbers from month to month in 2020 took a dip between January and February. There were more than 79,100 passengers that flew to and from the airport in January, a 6% decrease from February’s number.
During that same period the previous year, however, passenger figures also dropped 8% between January and February in 2019.
Commercial airlines across the industry are making changes due to less demand for travel, a ripple effect of COVID-19, a disease caused by the coronavirus.
Most recently at ILM, United Airlines flights between Wilmington and Chicago were suspended during the months of April and May. The flights are slated to resume in June, but are subject to change, according to ILM.
Airport officials had not indicated any other impacts to its flight schedule as of Thursday afternoon.
On Wednesday, however, officials released information about a reduction in Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff at ILM.
“The Wilmington International Airport (ILM) was informed by TSA’s Assistant Federal Security Director – Screening that a percentage of TSA’s workforce, at ILM, was placed on Safety Leave. TSA’s Safety Leave status applies to individuals in a high-risk category for COVID-19, such as those with pre-existing health conditions,” stated a notice on ILM’s website.
TSA will operate ILM security lanes with available TSA staff, officials said.
“TSA’s Safety Leave process is occurring on a national scale at all airport locations,” officials said.
"The circumstances surrounding the TSA operations at ILM are part of the bigger picture and ripple effect of the impact that COVID-19 is having on the travel industry," a TSA spokesperson said in an email Thursday.
The TSA would not provide specific statistics about what percentage of the TSA workforce at ILM was placed on safety leave.
With a reduction of TSA at ILM, officials encourage travelers to allow more time to complete the screening process.
