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Autopsy: Joseph Lewis died from multiple stab wounds

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Audit: Improper loans, recordkeeping at Shick Firemen’s Relief Association

<p>PITTSTON TWP. &#8212; Coming off a record-breaking year for passenger travel, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport saw a sharp decline in February.</p><p>Carl Beardsley, airport executive director, reported at Thursday&#8217;s airport board meeting that enplanements in February decreased by 11.8 percent to 16,333, down from 18,518 for the same month in 2017.</p><p>Beardsley said bad weather forced the cancellation or delay of several flights, but his report said the decrease is mainly attributed to the loss of the Allegiant Airlines service to Florida.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s our top priority,&#8221; Beardsley said of finding an airline to replace Allegiant. &#8220;We have been in negotiations with other airlines, but it&#8217;s too soon to announce anything.&#8221;</p><p>Beardsley said the airport will see several flights added to its existing carriers, such as American Airlines service to Chicago and additional flights to Charlotte and Philadelphia.</p><p>&#8220;From a customer perspective, we need those flights,&#8221; Beardsley said. &#8220;But we also need that leisure component. Customers who used Allegiant were those going on a vacation, not business travelers.&#8221;</p><p>Beardsley reported that 24 departing flights were cancelled in February due to air traffic/weather conditions. He said that accounted for 1,330, or 6.7 percent, out of a total of 19,772 departure seats. He added that 25 arriving flights were also cancelled due to air traffic/weather issues.</p><p>In February, Beardsley reported that enplanements for January 2018 decreased 1.5 percent compared to a year ago &#8212; from 18,826 to 18,542. Beardsley attributed that slight decline mainly to the departure of Allegiant in early January. Allegiant had provided air service to Orlando/Sanford and Tampa/St. Petersburg in Florida.</p><p>While weather played havoc with flights in February, Beardsley said airport staff did a commendable job of keeping customers aware of the status of their flights.</p><p>&#8220;I can&#8217;t say enough about our staff,&#8221; Beardsley said. &#8220;When flights were cancelled or delayed, our customers were kept informed. There was a lot of snow &#8212; a ton of snow.&#8221;</p><p>In other business, the board:</p><p>&#8226; Approved five-year contracts with car rental agencies Avis, Hertz and National/Enterprise.</p><p>&#8226; Approved an air cargo consultant contract with Landrum &amp; Brown, of Cincinnati, Ohio. The plan will include a background study and overview; profile of existing conditions; identification of trends and future demands; inventory of existing facilities and infrastructure assessment; and a feasibility assessment with recommendations.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Beardsley </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_Beardsley.jpg</photo0><caption0>Beardsley </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_Airport-Sign.jpg">
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Weather, loss of Allegiant cause steep drop in passenger numbers at airport