I'd like to start a thread to discuss Pennsylvania's other airports. Any exciting developments or predictions for this year?

MDT has seen a lack of excitement since F9 pulled out in 2016, however UA and AA have been upgauging flights to ORD and CLT to mainline. The old terminal building has been demolished and a hotel is currently under construction. I've been waiting for MDT-DFW since the AA/US merger, but it looks like that might not happen this year since AA just announced a slew of new routes for this summer and MDT wasn't part of it. I would expect some more G4 flights this announced this year. Longshot would be MDT-DEN on UA or return of Frontier. Per executive meeting notes the past few months, the airport has been meeting with Spirit Airlines, so that's also a possibility. I wouldn't be surprised to see DL upgauge or add more flights on MDT-ATL as well, since that seems to do well for them, and would be competitive with AA which runs 5 daily flights to CLT, two of them mainline.

ABE has been doing very well with G4 and SFB is going to multiple daily flights some days this spring.

AVP just announced AA 2x daily to ORD.

I would think SCE and ERI are somewhere on the road to getting AA flights to ORD.

Little old IPT continues to chug along with flights to PHL.

I predict pretty soon ABE will start offering more incentives to airlines to start new service. The airport has been drowning in debt due to buying some land in the area about 20 years ago. Recently the land was sold to a developer, and I believe all of their long term debt is now paid off.

I didn’t do a lot of digging, but I’m not seeing traffic numbers for 2017 yet. But, for YoY for November 16/17 is up 15% so that’s vey promising to see the full year.

G4 is still holding strong, from the LVIA website it says “
Now through May 2018, there will be approximately (50) additional departures to those destinations versus the same time period last year.“ that’s almost 10,000 extra seats for the Jan-May time frame. Overall impressive adds.

FedEx is building a very large campus right around the corner, which I believe is more focused on their ground deliveries but may bring more FedEx flights to the airport.

Amazon seems to still be committed to the airport with multiple flights a day.

Exciting times for ABE, maybe we can see AA restart their flight to ORD. I doubt its’s going to happen, but maybe F9 is going to come back. They seem to have a strong presence in the area with TTN and PHL.

Thanks for starting this thread!

bridge29 wrote:

I'd like to start a thread to discuss Pennsylvania's other airports. Any exciting developments or predictions for this year?

MDT has seen a lack of excitement since F9 pulled out in 2016, however UA and AA have been upgauging flights to ORD and CLT to mainline. The old terminal building has been demolished and a hotel is currently under construction. I've been waiting for MDT-DFW since the AA/US merger, but it looks like that might not happen this year since AA just announced a slew of new routes for this summer and MDT wasn't part of it. I would expect some more G4 flights this announced this year. Longshot would be MDT-DEN on UA or return of Frontier. Per executive meeting notes the past few months, the airport has been meeting with Spirit Airlines, so that's also a possibility. I wouldn't be surprised to see DL upgauge or add more flights on MDT-ATL as well, since that seems to do well for them, and would be competitive with AA which runs 5 daily flights to CLT, two of them mainline.

ABE has been doing very well with G4 and SFB is going to multiple daily flights some days this spring.

AVP just announced AA 2x daily to ORD.

I would think SCE and ERI are somewhere on the road to getting AA flights to ORD.

Little old IPT continues to chug along with flights to PHL.

MDT
A few corrections to add, F9 pulled out in January 2015, and UA mainline has cycled on and off for years, if anything a little less now, currently there is none.
It is nice to see AA added a 2nd CLT run on mainline, and I agree DL could use two evening return flights to compete with AA at CLT. I was really hoping to see DFW return, maybe next year. A lot of the threads on here have AA axing BOS but it is still holding on, even at 1 flight a day.
UA would be nice to see DEN added but it is a long shot, there numbers have dropped over the years here, mainly thru a reduction in the amount of flights to ORD and eliminating EWR.
DL would be nice to see MSP added back from the NW days, and another evening ATL turn.
F9 could come back with the additonal aircraft coming in, but not sure it would include DEN this time around.
NK, who knows
G4 could add FLL like they did at ABE, FL ran it I believe 2 seasons 3x week
WN isn't going to happen. I have to laugh at that one there because on there FB page they had pictures posted of the PSU charters for the bowl game and there were a lot of comments about how everyone would fly them if they came to MDT, then turn around and say they drive to BWI and PHL to fly them all the time. They have no incentive!! This is where the authority should look at competing by offering incentives to UA for DEN service, B6 for Florida service, AA to DFW. They would be wasting there time with WN.

ABE
G4 does very well there and continue to add flights, shouldn't have any trouble gaining momentum
Legacy service has certainly dropped, I noticed AA doesn't serve much anymore to PHL or CLT. DL has one mainline to ATL, and UA has a handful of flights. I would hope to see AA to ORD return at some point, especially with something like an E175.
F9 abruptly left after just a short stint, hopefully whatever that was all about is gone and they come back, but I think they have a better shot at NK, surprised they are not there already, though that could muddy the waters with G4 if they go head to head on similar routes.

SCE
DL to ATL is a route I'm surprised they are not back on, that would be the most logical add for the area, and AA or UA to ORD

AVP
Just loss G4, NK or F9 to MCO would be worth a try

IPT
ORD?

SCE already has UA to ORD

Buddys747 wrote:

Thanks for starting this thread!

bridge29 wrote:

I'd like to start a thread to discuss Pennsylvania's other airports. Any exciting developments or predictions for this year?

MDT has seen a lack of excitement since F9 pulled out in 2016, however UA and AA have been upgauging flights to ORD and CLT to mainline. The old terminal building has been demolished and a hotel is currently under construction. I've been waiting for MDT-DFW since the AA/US merger, but it looks like that might not happen this year since AA just announced a slew of new routes for this summer and MDT wasn't part of it. I would expect some more G4 flights this announced this year. Longshot would be MDT-DEN on UA or return of Frontier. Per executive meeting notes the past few months, the airport has been meeting with Spirit Airlines, so that's also a possibility. I wouldn't be surprised to see DL upgauge or add more flights on MDT-ATL as well, since that seems to do well for them, and would be competitive with AA which runs 5 daily flights to CLT, two of them mainline.

ABE has been doing very well with G4 and SFB is going to multiple daily flights some days this spring.

AVP just announced AA 2x daily to ORD.

I would think SCE and ERI are somewhere on the road to getting AA flights to ORD.

Little old IPT continues to chug along with flights to PHL.

MDT
A few corrections to add, F9 pulled out in January 2015, and UA mainline has cycled on and off for years, if anything a little less now, currently there is none.
It is nice to see AA added a 2nd CLT run on mainline, and I agree DL could use two evening return flights to compete with AA at CLT. I was really hoping to see DFW return, maybe next year. A lot of the threads on here have AA axing BOS but it is still holding on, even at 1 flight a day.
UA would be nice to see DEN added but it is a long shot, there numbers have dropped over the years here, mainly thru a reduction in the amount of flights to ORD and eliminating EWR.
DL would be nice to see MSP added back from the NW days, and another evening ATL turn.
F9 could come back with the additonal aircraft coming in, but not sure it would include DEN this time around.
NK, who knows
G4 could add FLL like they did at ABE, FL ran it I believe 2 seasons 3x week
WN isn't going to happen. I have to laugh at that one there because on there FB page they had pictures posted of the PSU charters for the bowl game and there were a lot of comments about how everyone would fly them if they came to MDT, then turn around and say they drive to BWI and PHL to fly them all the time. They have no incentive!! This is where the authority should look at competing by offering incentives to UA for DEN service, B6 for Florida service, AA to DFW. They would be wasting there time with WN.

ABE
G4 does very well there and continue to add flights, shouldn't have any trouble gaining momentum
Legacy service has certainly dropped, I noticed AA doesn't serve much anymore to PHL or CLT. DL has one mainline to ATL, and UA has a handful of flights. I would hope to see AA to ORD return at some point, especially with something like an E175.
F9 abruptly left after just a short stint, hopefully whatever that was all about is gone and they come back, but I think they have a better shot at NK, surprised they are not there already, though that could muddy the waters with G4 if they go head to head on similar routes.

SCE
DL to ATL is a route I'm surprised they are not back on, that would be the most logical add for the area, and AA or UA to ORD

AVP
Just loss G4, NK or F9 to MCO would be worth a try

IPT
ORD?

Thanks for the info. I keep forgetting that MDT-BOS is still hanging on! Surprised it's lasted this long. Last time I checked load factors they were around 65%. Not super great, but fares are high. It's a turn on a Piedmont aircraft that would otherwise sit at MDT, so I assume still profitable to run it.

I contacted MDT last year about B6 service. They have courted B6 to Florida but B6 won't open without a guaranteed full flight to BOS. Ironically, AA's flight probably keeps that from happening.

Thank you for this thread!

Point of order: there is a PIT thread, but not, as far as I cal tell through searching, a standing PHL thread. Should PHL be added to the thread title? Or is this a case of "get your own"? (I would not start a PHL thread in any case; there just isn't enough volume of news, even if leavened by copious speculation.)

Buddys747 wrote:

AVP
Just loss G4, NK or F9 to MCO would be worth a try

MCO may be worth trying, but I highly doubt NK/F9 would do so after the 'King' of flights from small airports to Florida gave up on the route. If G4 can't make it happen, I can't see NK/F9 attempting it.

bridge29 wrote:

MDT has seen a lack of excitement since F9 pulled out in 2016, however UA and AA have been upgauging flights to ORD and CLT to mainline. The old terminal building has been demolished

For those not familiar, this is the "old" terminal which was demolished:




I remember it as a perfectly functional, modern facility with ample capacity and room for expansion. It was only built in 1986. For such a stagnant airport it astonishes me MDT felt they needed a completely new terminal to replace this. I think they built a new terminal on speculation that Southwest would enter MDT back when Southwest avoided major congested airports.

Same with the concourse extension at ABE. Overbuilt based on speculation WN would never enter PHL and would use ABE instead when the time came. Too bad Southwest gave up on the "Southwest Effect".

I always found the ABE terminal interesting (before the expansion). It must have been the smallest terminal complex in the world with a separate landside and airside terminal.

ABE’s expansion was different. The old airside was very cramped at certain times of the day, especially in the AM. This was pre-RJ era with more mainline jets when the expansion came.

US had 3 mainline RONs with one jetway & they would park from where the DC9 is to the UA 727 (on the B&W pic) and move the jetway for two jets and airstairs on the third. USX also had a few commuters going at the same time. UA had two RONs, again with one jetway and a UAX flight. DL had 2-3 RONs and had a trailer installed as a gate in between the US and EA jetways. NW also had a RON and I think AC had a morning YYZ prop. At other times in the 90s both AA and TWA had RONs, TWA with two (IIRC), CO Ex props, other periods when the original AirTran and Midway were also there and what ever other airlines came in to scoop up the incentives offered by George Dougherty and then left as soon as the incentives stopped.

Then the RJ boom and post Sept 11 changes had a negative impact on ABE and similar cities. It’s sad to see ABE now.

2017 a record year at AVP:
http://www.timesleader.com/news/690430/wbs-airport-sets-2017-record-as-new-flights-for-this-year-announced

Good news for MDT. Service on F9 begins in July, 3x weekly to MCO, 2x weekly to Denver and 2x weekly to RDU (!). Not sure whether these are seasonal or not, but MDT-RDU will be rough in the winter.

Times are:
MDT-DEN: 16:44-18:36
DEN-MDT: 06:30-11:52

MDT-RDU: 12:42-13:56
RDU-MDT: 14:46-15:54

MDT-MCO: 14:20-16:51
MCO-MDT: 11:00-13:20

The same plane runs DEN-MDT-RDU-MDT-DEN while MCO is just a turn. Timings are actually about the best we could have hoped for.

bridge29 wrote:

Good news for MDT. Service on F9 begins in July, 3x weekly to MCO, 2x weekly to Denver and 2x weekly to RDU (!). Not sure whether these are seasonal or not, but MDT-RDU will be rough in the winter.

Times are:
MDT-DEN: 16:44-18:36
DEN-MDT: 06:30-11:52

MDT-RDU: 12:42-13:56
RDU-MDT: 14:46-15:54

MDT-MCO: 14:20-16:51
MCO-MDT: 11:00-13:20

The same plane runs DEN-MDT-RDU-MDT-DEN while MCO is just a turn. Timings are actually about the best we could have hoped for.

I can say RDU is seasonal and stops sometime in November. Cheers from RDU!

bridge29 wrote:

Good news for MDT. Service on F9 begins in July, 3x weekly to MCO, 2x weekly to Denver and 2x weekly to RDU (!). Not sure whether these are seasonal or not, but MDT-RDU will be rough in the winter.

Times are:
MDT-DEN: 16:44-18:36
DEN-MDT: 06:30-11:52

MDT-RDU: 12:42-13:56
RDU-MDT: 14:46-15:54

MDT-MCO: 14:20-16:51
MCO-MDT: 11:00-13:20

The same plane runs DEN-MDT-RDU-MDT-DEN while MCO is just a turn. Timings are actually about the best we could have hoped for.

RDU is interesting add. I hope it does well. The other two I’m sure will, they did before. I hope the frequency increases though, people are already complaining. Gotta love it

F9 extension has MDT-RDU/DEN ending early November, MCO staying at 3x weekly. Would have been nice to see DEN remain thru the holidays. Biggest complaints I’m hearing from people are only being twice weekly and seasonal. We will see if either city comes back next spring.