Pittston, PA -
After a record year in 2017, passengers in 2018 at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport have been off for a few months, but that trend turned around in June.
At Thursday's Bi-County Airport Board meeting, Executive Director Carl Beardsley reported that passenger enplanements for June 2018 decreased 4.1 percent to 23,368 from 24,378 in June 2017. However, despite the drop from a year ago, Beardsley said this June marked the second highest June ever.
“That's is good news,” Beardsley said. “We are seeing high numbers again.”
Beardsley reported that when compared directly with the month of June 2017, the 2018 decrease is mainly attributed to the loss of Allegiant air service to Orlando/Sanford and Tampa/St.Petersburg. He said the search for a replacement for the non-stop to Florida service continues, but nothing has been found to date.
Earlier this year, Beardsley said replacing Allegiant was a “top priority.” He said he has been in negotiations with other airlines. Beardsley said the airport will see several flights added to its existing carriers, such as American Airlines service to Chicago and additional flights to Charlotte and Philadelphia and new service to Washington D.C will soon begin.
Beardsley also said the airport's business from the lower tier of New York has increased dramatically, as evidenced by the increased number of New York license plates on travelers' cars parked at the airport. He said there has also been an increase in users from New Jersey.
