Plane Safety Questioned By Pilots At Allegiant Air, Which Serves LVIA, Report Says

Allegiant Air pilots, who are locked in tense contract negotiations with the low-cost carrier, say they are worried about repeated safety problems with the carrier’s fleet, according to a report.

The carrier serves Lehigh Valley International Airport and maintains major hubs in Orlando, Phoenix, Tampa and Las Vegas. The pilots authorized a strike last month but later agreed to stay on the job while a federal judge reviews arguments from their union and the airline’s management.

The pilots are now saying they’re concerned about mechanical problems with the airline’s fleet of older planes, poor maintenance and “a culture where profits come before safety,” according to a story published Monday on the New York Times website. 

Read more:

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking-news/index.ssf/2015/04/plane_safety_questioned_by_pil.html

Lehigh Valley International Airport Identifies Likely Buyer For 298 Acres

Aerial photo of Lehigh Valley International Airport (IATA: ABE, ICAO: KABE) in Hanover Township, 2005 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Lehigh Valley Industrial Park has emerged as the most likely candidate to buy 298 acres from Lehigh Valley International Airport.

The airport has been negotiating since September with several local developers interested in the land east of Airport Road in Hanover Township, Northampton County.

While the purchase is far from finalized, LVIP has emerged as the frontrunner in talks, largely due to the large amount of job creation expected from their prospective development.

“Between the FedEx project and this second piece with the LVIP, we’re going to end up with a lot of small to medium businesses and have an opportunity to create a lot of jobs,” saidTony Iannelli, chairman of the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority.

Read more: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking-news/index.ssf/2014/01/lehigh_valley_international_ai_26.html

Lehigh Valley Airport Sells Land For $9.6 Million

Aerial photo of Lehigh Valley International Airport (IATA: ABE, ICAO: KABE) in Hanover Township, 2005 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority agreed Tuesday to sell 253 acres of surplus airport property to the Rockefeller Group so that it can be developed into a massive Fed-Ex Ground warehouse that could employ more than 1,000 people.

It’s a deal that could solve many of the airport’s financial problems, but it also comes with some risks. The money could take as long as two years to come, while the airport needs as much as $5 million of it by the end of next year. And if Fed-Ex decided against building in Allen Township, the airport could end up getting nothing.

In a separate move, the authority also gave Rockefeller the first option to buy another 281 acres, and encouraged the airport staff to begin negotiating to sell another 298 acres to local developers that include Lehigh Valley Industrial Park Inc.

“We know the clock is ticking and we have a [financial] gun to our head,” said authority chairman Tony Iannelli. “But this [project] is for real. We’ll all be keeping our fingers crossed.”

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-allentown-airport-authority-meeting-20131022,0,881921.story#ixzz2iUfo7CgL
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New Restaurants Coming To Lehigh Valley International Airport

Aerial photo of Lehigh Valley International Airport (IATA: ABE, ICAO: KABE) in Hanover Township, 2005 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cash-poor and in need of some good news, Lehigh Valley International Airport operators are turning to a new strategy to appeal to passengers: their stomachs.

OK, a really good hoagie or a perfectly mixed latte isn’t going to make anyone buy a plane ticket, but airport officials are hoping to attract at least some people who aren’t scheduled for a flight.

LVIA has hired a San Diego company to take over three restaurants and a newsstand in hopes of upgrading the offerings and increasing the airport’s take.  First Class Concessions has a deal to renovate and run the airport’s retail space for the next decade.

“This will enhance the concessions and we think that will drive up usage,” said airport Executive Director Charles Everett Jr.  “We believe the quality will be such that it will attract people who are not using the airport for travel that day.”

Read more:  http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-allentown-abe-airport-food-20130127,0,1920188.story

Lehigh Valley International Airport To Have International Flights

Aerial photo of Lehigh Valley International Airport (IATA: ABE, ICAO: KABE) in Hanover Township, 2005 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For the first time, Lehigh Valley International Airport passengers could soon be taking direct flights to places like Mexico, Puerto Rico and Jamaica.

The authority that runs the cash-strapped and passenger-starved airport Tuesday endorsed a $5 million plan to add a U.S. Customs station that would allow LVIA to have flights out of the country as early as 2014.

Embarking on a multimillion-dollar project will not be easy for the struggling airport.  But the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority supported a plan to accept a $1.5 million state grant and take out loans for $3.5 million to build an inspection station.

The board believes the station will keep thousands of fliers a year from using other airports to go to places like Cancun, San Juan and Montego Bay.

Read more:  http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-allentown-abe-airport-international-20121218,0,4105822.story

Lehigh Valley’s Airport Cuts Workers, Services

Aerial photo of Lehigh Valley International Airport (IATA: ABE, ICAO: KABE) in Hanover Township, 2005 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bowing under the weight of massive debt and dwindling passengers, Lehigh Valley International Airport officials acted Tuesday to eliminate a dozen jobs and cut services such as valet parking and the airport parking shuttle.

The $19.6 million 2013 budget will mean minor inconveniences for passengers who will soon have to park their own cars, book their own flights and walk from even the most distant parking areas, but the heaviest burdens are being shouldered by airport workers losing their jobs.

Among the 12 jobs being cut Jan. 1 are seven grounds crew and ticket-counter workers, a construction manager and the airport’s only travel agent.

Read more:  http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-allentown-abe-airport-budget-20121127,0,4515215.story

Passenger Traffic Plummets At Lehigh Valley International Airport

Aerial photo of Lehigh Valley International Airport (IATA: ABE, ICAO: KABE) in Hanover Township, 2005 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Anyone walking into Lehigh Valley International Airport will notice the shiny new terrazzo floor, the modern glass architecture and the new LV Cafe — the result of a $14 million makeover that took three years.

But what is also noticeable is that lately there are relatively few passengers to enjoy the new amenities.

Passenger traffic has plummeted at LVIA after three airlines left in the past year, and airport administrators will soon announce “austerity” measures that could include job cuts, fee increases and business contract reviews.

Analysts say it’s part of a national trend in which skyrocketing fuel costs have prompted air carriers like American to pull their planes from smaller regional airports. And with no relief in sight for jet fuel prices that are up 443 percent over a decade ago, it’s a situation that’s likely to get worse before it gets better.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/mc-allentown-abe-airport-traffic-20121013,0,1104899.story

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton One Of More Than 100 U.S. Airports At Risk Of Closure

More than 100 U.S. airports, including Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International, are in jeopardy of losing their air traffic control service – forcing their closure – under automatic federal spending cuts set to take effect Jan. 2, according to a Center for American Progress study.

Under the potential across-the-board budget cuts, or sequestration, the Federal Aviation Administration would be required to slash an estimated $1.35 billion, or approximately 9 percent, from its annual budget for each of the next 10 years, starting in January, to reduce the nation’s deficit, according to the study.

In order to decrease its expenditures, the administration may choose to restrict flights nationwide – from 70,000 to 62,000 per year – said Scott Lilly, a CAP senior writer and the author of the study.

However, Mr. Lilly said it is more likely the FAA will be forced to cut air traffic service at 106 of the nation’s smaller commercial airports – which he defined as less than 750,000 passengers per year – including the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, Lehigh Valley International Airport and Harrisburg International Airport.

Read more:http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/wilkes-barre-scranton-one-of-more-than-100-u-s-airports-at-risk-of-closure-1.1355940

Allentown Carrier Direct Air Halts Flights Nationwide

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Apparently buried in debt and wracking up service fees at airports including Lehigh Valley International, Direct Air abruptly halted all flights Tuesday morning, and there is no word when or if air service will resume.

Charles Everett Jr., executive director of Lehigh Valley International, confirmed that Direct Air had halted flights but he said he wasn’t sure what that meant for its upcoming flights at LVIA.

He also wasn’t yet certain what the unannounced stoppage meant for the $93,000 in service, landing and passenger changes Direct Air owes LVIA.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-abe-airport-direct-air-20120313,0,2234033.story

Lehigh Valley International Airport Looks To Offset Loss Of AirTran

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Now that Lehigh Valley International Airport‘s flirtation with Southwest Airlines has ended, airport officials are turning to plan B.

That will include trying get existing airlines to add new routes and getting new airlines like Frontier and Spirit to move into LVIA, Airport General Manager Charles Everett said.

And they’ll be looking to do it fast, because not only is Southwest not coming, the airport’s largest discount flier, AirTran, will be departing Aug. 12.

“We’ll be reaching out to carriers we think would be a good fit here. Spirit and Frontier will be among them,” Everett said. “I expect to be able to backfill those lost seats before AirTran leaves.”

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/mc-allentown-pa-airport-southwest-20120124,0,3540136.story

AirTran Discontinuing Service At Lehigh Valley International Airport

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AirTran Airways and Southwest Airlines confirmed plans to combine operations at 22 airports and will discontinue service at Lehigh Valley International Airport and five other operations, LVIA officials announced in a news release.

The service will be discontinued at LVIA effective Aug. 12, 2012. LVIA officials said all ticketed passengers, passengers holding reservations, or passengers wanting to make reservations for flights to or from LVIA have no need to alter their travel plans.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-lehigh-valley-air-tran-20120120,0,7458520.story