Airport departures decline again in June

Borys Krawczeniuk, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
Updated ·2 min read

Jul. 27—PITTSTON TWP. — Passenger departures at the local airport dropped for the fourth straight month in June compared to the same month last year.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport had 14,796 departures, down from 17,272 in June 2022, a 14.3% decline, according to figure provided during the airport board meeting Thursday.

It was also the fourth straight month of double-digit declines versus 2022 months. Substituting for airport director Carl Beardsley Jr., who is recovering from surgery, marketing, communications and air service development director Eric McKitish attributed the declines to several reasons.

American Airlines is using smaller jets and offering only one daily flight to Chicago instead of two last year, McKitish said. United Airlines passengers dropped because of fewer flights to Newark, New Jersey, mainly because of flight cancellations. Boscov's charter flights to Orlando, Florida, also dropped dramatically, he said.

In other business, the board:

—Honored 18 people who volunteer in its Ambassador Program. Ambassadors help visitors find their way around the terminal. The program started in 2006. The volunteers honored for at least 15 years of services were John Bergen, Pittston Twp.; Bette Lou Brundage, Moscow; John Brundage, Moscow; Edward Connor, Swoyersville; James Ferguson, Dunmore; Carol Fisher, Scranton; Edward Hanadel, Exeter; Thomas Kisthart, Scranton; Beverly Robinson, Pittston; Dean Robinson, Pittston; Marie Robson, Clarks Summit; Ronald Skamanich, Duryea; and Rita Skechus, Duryea.

Honored for at least 10 years of service were Joseph Andrews, Jenkins Twp., and Mary Bagias, Scranton. Honored for at least five years of service, Clinton Harris, Wilkes-Barre; Arthur Mayer, Taylor; and Richard Winslow, South Abington Twp.

—Awarded a $195,000 contract to Scranton Electric Heating & Cooling Systems, Throop, for general construction on the airport terminal's heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrade.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9147; @BorysBlogTT on Twitter.