When the first Breeze Airways flight from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport took off for Orlando two years ago, it marked the return of direct service from AVP to Florida for the first time in about six years.
Airport officials had tried to revive such a service since Allegiant Air pulled out in early January 2018, ending a roughly 5½-year run at AVP during which it flew twice a week to the Orlando/Sanford and Tampa/St. Petersburg airports in the Sunshine State. Their efforts finally came to fruition when they landed Breeze, with officials announcing in November 2023 that the Utah-based carrier would fill the void with direct flights to Orlando International Airport beginning Jan. 30, 2024.
Friday marked the two-year anniversary of that first Breeze departure from the airport in Pittston Twp., a milestone Breeze is celebrating by offering promotional fares starting from $64 one way.
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)
Airport officials have celebrated a number of Breeze announcements and service expansions since that initial Florida-bound flight departed two years ago, with the carrier later adding 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 for the better part of the past two years. Total passenger boardings there in 2024, the first year of Breeze service, increased by about 30.9% compared to 2023.
Among other examples from last year, April passenger boardings at AVP increased by about 26.4% compared to April 2024, driven largely by a more than 300% increase in boardings on Breeze flights. Boardings on Breeze flights were also up 59.6% in August compared to the same month the year prior despite overall boardings at AVP dropping by about 3.5% that month compared to August 2024.
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)
The steep increases in Breeze boardings for specific months in 2025 relative to the same months in 2024 often reflect new Breeze services added in the intervening time. Direct service from AVP to Tampa and Fort Myers, for example, launched in October 2024.
The overall boarding numbers also capture 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.
Airport Director Carl Beardsley Jr. remains on sabbatical, but members of the airport board praised Breeze when reached Friday.
Luzerne County Councilwoman Lee Ann McDermott, who chaired the airport board before it reorganized Thursday, said “they’ve been a great partner.”
McDermott hopes Breeze might eventually further expand local service to destinations on the east coast of Florida, such as Fort Lauderdale or Palm Beach, she said.
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)
Efforts to reach Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak, the airport board’s new chairman, were not immediately successful. But Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan also lauded Breeze.
“If you look at the numbers, the increase in people now going through the airport has been really tremendous and it’s because of the customer service of Breeze and the fact that it’s so convenient to fly direct right into Florida,” he said. “And that’s really what people want and have been clamoring for the last couple of years, so between the service and just the convenience of it it’s been a huge boost to the airport.”
Prospective travelers can learn more about Breeze at flybreeze.com, or visit the airport’s website at flyavp.com.