After months of bad news because of COVID-19, the local airport received good news: Two airlines will offer more departing flights.
United Airlines plans to resume two flights a day from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport to Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 17, local airport Director Carl Beardsley Jr. told the airport board Thursday. The flights will depart at 8 a.m. and 3:18 p.m., Beardsley said. Return flights will arrive at 11:53 a.m. and 7:03 p.m.
“We’re very excited. This is not only a good business market for us, but it’s also going to provide vacationers with a way to go north and south between (the airport) and southerly destinations.
Because the pandemic curbed passenger demand, United eliminated the flights in May. The airline’s original August and October schedules showed the flights resuming then, but that never happened, airport spokesman Eric McKitish said. McKitish said the airport verified the flights will resume next month with an official at United’s headquarters.
In addition, Boscov’s, using Southwest Airlines jets, will offer nonstop charter flights to Orlando, Florida, during 14 weeks next year.
Boscov’s will offer the flights as part of vacation packages that include hotel rooms starting the week of March 7-13. The other weeks are March 14-20, April 11-24, May 9-22, June 20-July 3, Sept. 19-25, Oct. 10-23, Nov. 14-27 and Dec. 5-11.
The flights will depart about 8 a.m. Sunday mornings and return the following Saturday evening.
“We’re going to pay close attention whether or not it’s successful and how they’re going to go about making it a success in the future,” Beardsley said.
The airport lost its regular Florida service in January 2018 when Allegiant Air ended a flight a day to Orlando and to Tampa two days a week.
