Wilmington International Airport (ILM) generated an estimated $3.3 billion in economic output in 2023, according to a State of Aviation report released by the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) this month.

That number is up from the last State of Aviation report, which estimated ILM had an economic output of $2.5 billion based on 2021 data. In the recent report, ILM ranked fifth, in terms of economic output, behind airports in Charlotte, Raleigh, the Triad and Asheville.

NCDOT released the latest State of Aviation report on Jan. 3. It uses data from 2023, the most recent year with complete data available.

 In 2023, ILM supported 20,905 jobs, $1 billion in personal income and $192.3 million in local and state taxes. Analysis of the state’s 10 commercial service airports, including ILM, quantifies the impacts of leisure and business travelers to and from North Carolina, according to the report.

For ILM, those numbers have climbed from the last report, which stated the airport supported 13,550 jobs and contributed $822.7 million in personal income and $112.9 million in state and local taxes in 2021.

The recent State of Aviation report found North Carolina’s 72 public airports contribute more than $88 billion in economic output each year, making up approximately 11% of the state’s gross domestic product. Statewide, airports also support 427,000 jobs and generate $34 billion in personal income and $4.8 billion in state and local tax revenues annually.

The report also noted an increase in the number of passengers served by North Carolina airports in 2023 when airports saw an estimated 74.3 million passengers. That is up 30% from 2021 passenger numbers and up 20% from pre-pandemic numbers.

Across the state, the 10 commercial airports supported 396,980 jobs, $31.6 billion in personal income and $4.4 billion in state and local taxes for an overall economic output of $80.9 billion. 

North Carolina’s 62 general aviation airports had a smaller but still significant impact, supporting 30,660 jobs and generating $2.5 billion in personal income and $378.9 million in state and local taxes for an overall economic output of nearly $7.2 billion.

In the Wilmington area, the Odell Williamson Municipal Airport in Ocean Isle Beach and the Wallace-Pender Airport in Wallace both support 75 jobs each. 

According to the report, the Odell Williamson Municipal Airport generates nearly $6.5 million in personal income, $771,000 in state and local taxes and $14.6 million in economic output while the Wallace-Pender Airport generates $6.3 million in personal income, $1 million in state and local taxes and $19 million in economic output.