Nov. 22—Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton International Airport Director Carl Beardsley Jr. believed he was close to fulfilling his top priority: restoring direct flights to Florida.

The airport offered Avelo Airlines, a newer, low-cost carrier, plenty of incentive to land the airline, including 2022 airport use fee waivers, future rate reductions and a marketing program.

Avelo picked Greater Binghamton Airport in Johnson City, New York, the airport Beardsley ran before he arriving here in January 2015. The Binghamton- Florida routes, announced in August, began Wednesday.

"We were definitely disappointed," Beardsley said. "I believe that we have the market to sustain having that type of service. And I believe that it won't be long before we're going to make an announcement where we achieve our goal and we have that ultra low-cost carrier."

He said the airport continues actively wooing other airlines, but declined to name them.

"The feedback we're receiving is that we have an outstanding package, that we can anticipate further discussions on the matter," he said.

Airport officials have tried unsuccessfully to revive regular service to Florida since Allegiant Air pulled out in January 2018, in favor of establishing a hub at the Lehigh Valley International Airport near Allentown and offering Florida flights there.

Avelo, a Houston, Texas-based airline that began operations in April 2021, announced Aug. 31 it would begin flying twice a week Nov. 16 between Binghamton and two Florida airports — Orlando International Airport and Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers. For flights booking now and trips completed before April 30, 2023, the one-way air fare is as low as $59, according to an Avelo news release.

Orlando, home to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Florida and other attractions, remains a major draw for vacationing travelers. Orlando International is the city's major airport; Orlando/Sanford International, where Allegiant's flights from here operated, is the other.

Beardsley said Avelo made a business decision they didn't explain, as airlines usually don't.

Courtney Goff, Avelo's communications manager, declined to pinpoint a specific reason for choosing Binghamton.

"A lot of factors go into choosing which airports to serve," Goff said in an email. "Community engagement, leadership involvement, costs and past histories of service all combined with catchment area data are determining factors."

Catchment area data means using where potential customers live to determine where to place service.

"We feel very confident about our choice in Binghamton and have been generating good bookings from those in surrounding areas including the Wilkes-Barre area," she said. "We're always exploring other opportunities and while AVP is not in the immediate plans, we're still considering (it) for future opportunities."

That alone acknowledges the region's attractiveness for potential Florida carriers.

In its 5 1/2 years at the local airport, Allegiant flew twice a week to Orlando/ Sanford and Tampa/ St. Petersburg with at least 85.1% capacity of seats filled annually each year.

Beardsley said it took a decade to attract Allegiant and called the fight among airports for Florida service "ultra competitive."

"Every community in the entire nation wants to have that additional air service," Beardsley said.

In the meantime, the airport continues to host regular charter service to Orlando sponsored by Boscov's Travel.

The next charter leaves Dec. 4 and returns Dec. 10.

For 2023, Boscov's has charters scheduled for March 5 and 12, April 9 and 16, May 7 and 14, Sept. 17, Oct. 8 and 15, Nov. 12 and 19 and Dec. 3., airport Marketing Director Eric McKitish said in an email. Each charter returns six days later.

Just before the COVID-19 pandemic in fall 2019, Boscov's Travel averaged filled 93% of the seats on average, McKitish said. The March 2020 trips sold out. Since resuming last fall, they have reached 70% capacity on average, he said.

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