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<p>PITTSTON TWP. &#8212; At a meeting where officials announced a record March for passenger travel, a volunteer was honored Thursday for his service to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.</p><p>Airport Executive Director Carl Beardsley announced that passenger activity was the highest ever for the month of March. Beardsley said the 25,431 passengers who flew out of the airport in March marked a 41.2 percent increase from the 18,012 last year.</p><p>In March 2018, departures dropped 14.4 percent from 2017, mainly because Allegiant Air pulled out two months earlier. Last month also broke the March 2017 record of 21,054 departures.</p><p>Airport officials attributed the sharp increase since last year to new flights to Chicago added by American Airlines and United Airlines.</p><p>After making the announcement, Beardsley took time to honor Edward Hanadel of Exeter, who is a volunteer with the airport&#8217;s Ambassador program.</p><p>In presenting Hanadel with a plaque and a gift, Beardsley noted that since July 31, 2008, Hanadel has volunteered 5,030 hours. Beardsley noted that the Ambassador program has 26 volunteers who have clocked some 58,200 hours since the program&#8217;s inception in 2006 when the new terminal opened.</p><p>Beardsley said the Ambassadors at the airport serve as regional goodwill emissaries by providing courteous, friendly assistance, and useful information to the passengers, visitors and guests. He said the Ambassadors are committed to the enhancement of customer service at the airport and provide high-level, courteous assistance to regional visitors.</p><p>&#8220;After I retired, I heard about the program and I decided I wanted to help,&#8221; Hanadel said. &#8220;I like the contact with people. I enjoy helping them get to where they need to be &#8212; baggage pick-up, boarding area, restaurants.&#8221;</p><p>Hanadel said he volunteers two days per week, about five hours each day.</p><p><strong>Back to the numbers</strong></p><p>In 2017, the airport marked its 70th anniversary, but also smashed an old record &#8212; nearly 532,000 passengers flew in and out of the airport that year, breaking the old record of 491,416 set in 1990.</p><p>In 2018 the facility came close to another record: AVP topped 500,000 passengers once again, putting the year second only to 2017.</p><p>In other business:</p><p>&#8226; Airport Board Chairman Tim McGinley asked Beardsley about American Airlines dropping one of its four Sunday through Friday flights starting May 3. Beardsley explained that the airline is refurbishing its fleet of planes and to accommodate the rotation, one less flight will operate out of the airport. Beardsley said the fourth flight will resume in July.</p><p>&#8226; The board approved the 2019 budget totaling $6.8 million.</p><p>&#8226; Approved seeking Requests for Proposals for the construction of a new hangar at the airport.</p><p>&#8226; Approved the appointment of two custodians: Matthew J. McGlynn, 742 Foote Avenue, Duryea; and John W. Hapersberger, 3 Sunset Lane, Dupont, both effective May 6.</p><p>&#8226; Accepted bleeding control stations from Geisinger Medical Center for placement throughout the airport.</p><p>The bleeding control stations contain kits designed to help control or stop blood loss from traumatic events, including acts of violence, accidents or workplace injuries.</p><p>Geisinger is distributing more than 2,300 kits throughout central and Northeastern Pennsylvania. Since January 2017, Geisinger trauma services has trained more than 10,000 people through the Stop the Bleed program.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Airport board members Patrick O&#8217;Malley and Tim McGinley present volunteer Ambassador Edward Hanadel of Exeter with a plaque and a gift at Thursday&#8217;s Airport Board meeting. At right is Executive Director Carl Beardsley. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_AIRPORT-AMBASSADOR.jpg</photo0><caption0>Airport board members Patrick O&#8217;Malley and Tim McGinley present volunteer Ambassador Edward Hanadel of Exeter with a plaque and a gift at Thursday&#8217;s Airport Board meeting. At right is Executive Director Carl Beardsley. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill O&#8217;Boyle | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<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>

Airport sees record passenger flow for March — up 41.2 percent