Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport Passenger Departures Still on the Rise

Oct. 28—PITTSTON TWP. — Monthly passenger departures from the local airport increased over the same month the previous year for the 19th straight time in September.

The 17,098 passengers on planes that left the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport was 17.3% more than September 2021, airport Director Carl Beardsley Jr. reported during a board meeting Thursday.

So far, 144,566 passengers have departed on flights from the airport in 2022. With three months left to count, the airport will almost surely surpass the 156,786 of 2021. Even with the improvement, the pre-COVID-19 pandemic annual record of 296,632 departures, set in 2019, remains far off.

That record was set with three airlines — United, American and Delta — but the airport still hasn't replaced Delta, which pulled out during the pandemic in 2020.

Beardsley said United's and American's flights remain mostly full each month with 90.4% of available seats sold on American flights and 84.7% on United's. Both figures dropped slightly from September 2021, but Beardsley pointed out American offered 43% more seats in September than a year ago. United offered 2.3% fewer seats.

"Seat availability is important when you're trying to grow passenger boarding," Beardsley said.

In other business, the board:

Approved a lease with Metz Catering PA LLC for the former Tipsy Turtle Restaurant near the airport. Terms of the lease were not immediately available, but Metz plans to operate a catering hall there. The Tipsy Turtle closed in December because of staffing shortages.

Appointed Maurice Jones of Avoca to a maintenance job and Ken Salvo as a mechanic.

Hired Runway Safe Inc. of Logan Twp., New Jersey, for $106,000 to inspect and test the airport's engineered material arresting system beds. The beds lie at the end of runways and are supposed to prevent planes from running off the end if necessary. Engineering Director Stephen Mykulyn said the beds may need upgrading depending on the inspection and testing.

Approved a $147,522 supplement to McFarland Johnson Inc.'s engineering contract for a shelter for localizing equipment on the airport's main runway. Localizing equipment guides airplane landings.

Approved a contract change order to spend $39,057 more on upgrading the system that generates electricity in case of a power outage. The total contract with Cleveland Brothers is now $301,057. The extra money is for upgrading an outdated generator controller.

Approved a contract change order to spend $34,560 more on updating a processor on the airport's new baggage belt system. The total contract with Symbrant Aviation Services is now $687,120.

Approved a contract change order to spend $144,639 more for using specialized equipment to fracture rock as part of the construction of a new taxiway for the southern end of the airport's main runway. The total contract with JBS Dirt Inc. is now $4,817,718.59.

Held a moment of silence for the late Tia P. Toney, 48, an assistant in finance and administration, who died Oct. 12 after battling cancer for six years.

Airport officials praised Toney's dedication, hard work and efforts to help even when she was sick.

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