WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Pa. -- Travelers are packing their bags and checking in at the Wilkes-Barre Scranton/International Airport and they are setting records. In 12 months ending in July, a record 582,000 people flew in and out of here and record-breaking numbers have continued.
"14 consecutive months of a monthly increase to the passengers who are in-planing here at the airport," explained airport executive director Carl Beardsley. "What it really means is that we're growing, we're in growth mode and we're in growth mode because the people of the community and outside the community are supporting this airport."
Travelers tell Newswatch 16 they find it easy to support.
"If we didn't have this, we would be spending two hours driving to Philly or some other airport, Newark or something like that, and so we're in the process of college visits and so this has been a really convenient airport for us to just go in and out of," said Julie Bean of Dallas.
Airport officials tell Newswatch 16 they hope this growth attracts more airlines to fly in and out of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.
"Yeah, no question about it. If an airline looks at this airport, sees that we're growing, sees that the community supports us, they're more apt to decide to offer service here at the airport," said Beardsley.
"We use this airport regularly. My husband travels often and so do we. It's a great resource," added Bean.
"It's never stressful coming here to travel because there's the kiosk and always people there to help and so I travel with people other than my family sometimes and so when all of us are traveling and it's kind of chaotic it makes it a lot easier for us to get on the plane," said Bean's daughter, Emma.
You can keep an eye on arrivals and departures with the WNEP Flight Tracker.