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Lehigh Valley Int'l Airport Traffic Drops 11.4 Percent Due to Decline in US Airways Volume

Aug. 22, 2005

US Airways traffic was down 20 percent because of flight cancellations, mostly due to congestion and inclement weather last month.

Source Associated Press Alert via NewsEdge Corporation

ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Passenger traffic at Lehigh Valley International Airport dropped 11.4 percent in July from a year earlier, partly because of a steep decline in volume on US Airways, officials said.

US Airways traffic was down 20 percent because of flight cancellations, mostly due to congestion and inclement weather last month in Philadelphia, according to George Doughty, executive director of the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority, which operates the airport.

The airport is still reeling from the November departure of Southeast Airlines, which offered frequent nonstop service to three Florida cities, and despite gains by newer carriers including Hooters Air, passenger volume for the year so far is down 18.7 percent.

Total operations, including flights on private planes as well as commercial air service, were down 4.3 percent for the year so far, and cargo shipments were down 8.5 percent for the year to date.