After returning Florida flights at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport two years ago, Breeze Airways has since added more routes and now offers another one: Fort Lauderdale.
Breeze announced Tuesday it will offer nonstop flights from AVP, the federal abbreviation for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton airport, to Fort Lauderdale on Wednesdays and Saturdays starting July 1.
Fares for the new route will start from $79 one way on Wednesdays, from July 1 through Sept. 15, under a promotion available only when booking a new reservation from Tuesday, Feb. 24 through Monday, March 2. Changes in prices and restrictions may apply.
Carrier connects Keystone and Sunshine states
On Jan. 30, Breeze marked two years of service at AVP and the return of direct service to Florida for the first time in about six years. Allegiant Air pulled out of AVP in early January 2018, ending 5½ years of flying twice a week to the Orlando/Sanford and Tampa/St. Petersburg airports, according to archives of The Times-Tribune.
AVP efforts to revive Florida routes eventually landed the Utah-based Breeze carrier offering direct flights to Orlando International Airport beginning Jan. 30, 2024.
Breeze later added local service from AVP to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and two additional Florida services from AVP to Fort Myers and Tampa, respectively.
The airport’s partnership with Breeze and the new services it delivered have also contributed to positive passenger activity trends at AVP — trends officials have highlighted at monthly meetings of the bicounty airport board over the past two years.
For example, total passenger boardings there in 2024, the first year of Breeze service, increased 30.9% compared to 2023. April passenger boardings at AVP increased 26.4% compared to April 2024, driven largely by a 300% increase in boardings on Breeze flights. Breeze boardings also were up 59.6% in August compared to the same month the prior year, despite overall boardings at AVP dropping 3.5% that month compared to August 2024.
Sharp increases in Breeze boardings for specific months in 2025 versus 2024 often reflected additional new routes. Overall boarding numbers also reflect passengers traveling from AVP via a motorcoach service to connect with flights out of Philadelphia International Airport. American Airlines, operating the motorcoach service as part of its partnership with the Landline Company, began running those round trips between the two airports in August 2024.
In Tuesday’s announcement of a Fort Lauderdale route, Breeze said it serves “underserved cities” nationwide and makes air travel more accessible to millions of travelers coast-to-coast.
Breeze cited recent accolades including being named one of Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025 for a “fresh take on affordable flying that is transforming low-cost air travel into a nice experience.” Breeze also was named Best Major Airline in North America by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) and the No. 3 Best Domestic Airline by Travel + Leisure in 2025, placing Breeze in this list’s top four every year since it began flying.
“Coupled with its brand-new fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft and premium products like free family seating, fast onboard WiFi, preferred seat options and no change or cancel fees, Breeze is making it nice to fly affordably,” Breeze said in the announcement.
To learn more about Breeze, see it website at flybreeze.com or download the Breeze Airways app, or visit the airport’s website at flyavp.com.
Jeff Horvath, staff writer, contributed to this report.
A plane from Breeze Airways prepares to depart to Fort Myers, Fla., from the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport in Pittston Twp. Friday, January 30, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Employees from Breeze Airways work at the gate at the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport in Pittston Twp. Friday, January 30, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
A baggage tractor is on its way to load luggage onto a Breeze Airways flight before departing to Fort Myers, Fla., from the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport in Pittston Twp. Friday, January 30, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
A plane from Breeze Airways loads passengers before departing to Fort Myers, Fla., from the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport in Pittston Twp. Friday, January 30, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Flight information is displayed on a monitor in the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport in Pittston Twp. Friday, January 30, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Baggage handlers load up the Breeze Airways plane before it departs for Orlando at the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport.
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A plane from Breeze Airways prepares to depart to Fort Myers, Fla., from the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport in Pittston Twp. Friday, January 30, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)