Wilmington International Airport
Fly ILM for Convenience at its Finest
Fly direct into Wilmington International Airport (ILM) with popular airlines like American Airlines and Delta to get your coastal vacation off to a quick start upon arrival. With its centralized location, you can be toes in the sand in a little over 20 minutes after touchdown or sitting riverside in historic downtown in under 10 minutes via rental car or RideMicro (traffic depending). ILM is the perfect-sized airport and huge on hospitality and convenience. As the fifth largest airport in North Carolina, Southern hospitality greets visitors with beautiful public arts, local food and drink options and rocking chairs bidding welcome to the gateway to southeastern North Carolina.
A $60 million airport expansion completed in 2023 saw five additional gates, a restaurant, concessions and more. More improvements and expansions to ILM are rolling out through 2027 to improve visitor experience, including expanded accessibility, improved energy efficiency and a modern coastal design. Don't be alarmed by the construction; ILM has done a great job to make travel easy and convenient through its renovations (just follow the Pelican!). Everything from baggage claim to parking and passenger pick-up is easy with covered walkways, rental car and cell phone lots. Departures are a breeze with state-of-the-art security machines, musical performances on select days and electronic charging stations throughout.
Wilmington International Airport serves southeastern North Carolina with major commercial and general aviation services. For more information, call 910-341-4125 or visit FlyILM.
Wilmington International Airport (ILM) Parking Map as of 2026
Public Art
Walking through the terminal, it's hard not to notice its unique public art installations. ILM and The Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County selected three public art commissions as part of ILM’s (previous) terminal expansion. The public art pieces capture the spirit of the coastal Cape Fear Region through permanent installations that welcome ILM’s patrons, enhance the facility and contribute to the local cultural aesthetic, like the Venus Flytrap pictured below! Did you know that Wilmington is one of the few areas where the Venus Flytrap grows wild? Check out how to hunt for it (responsibly) during your next visit with our all-inclusive guide: Hunting for Venus Flytraps: A beginner's guide.
