ALLENTOWN, Pa. (WLVT) - At Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), officials said 2019 was a strong year. Monday, they announced a new service option to encourage more people to use the airport in 2020.
"Here comes Midway International Airport in Chicago and service from Allegiant to Chicago, which now joins American and United, who also provide service to the Windy City," said Colin Riccobon, director of public and government relations for the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority (LVAA).
The new direct route means passengers can fly to either of Chicago’s airports from ABE. Allegiant Airlines will start the new service May 14, but it's offering a special $33 fare for one-way tickets starting Wednesday.
"That's a reasonable price," said Paula Horridge of Huntington Mills in Luzerne County.
"I actually was born in Chicago and would definitely make trips back there," said Orefield resident Jonathan Wood. "We still have friends that live there. It's something we might take advantage of."
More than 800,000 passengers used the airport last year, flying past 2018’s total of 792,974.
"This is my first time here," said Noreen Kroll of Kingston in Luzerne County on Monday. "It's very nice."
In 2019, ABE was named Business of the Year by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, as the airport celebrated 90 years of serving the community.
"We are a team. In fact, we are a family, and when we put all those pieces together in this vital puzzle, we become the best regional airport system in North America," said LVAA executive director Thomas Stoudt in November.
In 2019, ABE welcomed non-stop flights to Nashville and Savannah, Georgia. In 2020, the airport welcomes non-stop flights to Sarasota, Florida next month and the aforementioned Chicago-Midway in May.
"There are a lot of flight options for the Lehigh Valley and air travelers," Riccobon said, "and I think that's really evidence of an airport that is vibrant and really is an economic engine for the region."
In less than a month, Allegiant will start working from a new aircraft base at the airport, creating 66 jobs.
The airport is also in the process of three major projects. The first is rehabbing the main runway. The airport closed for 52 hours in May to work on it.
"That's number one," Riccobon said. "That's the heart of the airport. The Runway 6/24 project certainly is a top priority."
The second is a $22 million project to expand the TSA checkpoint. Riccobon said that includes a direct connection from the ticket area to the gate area.
"With our growth, this is a necessary enhancement to elevate our customer service, because as we grow the checkpoint, we'll have more and more people being processed," he explained. "We only have two lanes right now. This has the potential to add lanes three and four."
The third project looks at bringing a hotel and possible retail development on airport property by the old terminal building.
"To continue to develop the airport, get it in a position for a successful future, generate some economic development for the region," Riccobon said.
The progress at ABE encourages passengers like Horridge and Kroll, who live in the Wilkes-Barre area. They said the airport in nearby Avoca isn’t as reliable as the one in Allentown.
"We love this airport," Horridge said. "I don't know. I just feel more comfortable here than I do in Avoca."
With more flight options and growing passenger traffic, the airport is likely to see longer lines. By October 1, passengers will need a form of what’s called a REAL ID in order to fly domestically. That includes a passport, passport card or a REAL ID-compliant driver's license (indicated by a gold star).
"That means that if you're flying from Allentown to Philadelphia, which is a short little jump, you will still need those documents in order to get through the TSA checkpoint," Riccobon said.
To learn more about where and how to get a REAL ID, click HERE.