Wilkes Stages `dining Room' 
A.r. Gurney's Play, ``the Dining Room,'' Will Be Presented By The Wilkes 
University Department Of Music, Theater And Dance In The Dorothy Dickson Darte 
Center For The Performing Arts, South And River Streets, Wilkes-barre.

100 Jobs Due By Year End 
The Hazleton Area Won Out 
Because Of Low Cost Of Living 
And Good Work Ethic, Says A 
Spokeswoman For Hilton

Friday, September 27, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A 





Airline ends D.C. direct service &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The decision by United &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Express follows months of declining ridership, an airport official
saysStaff and Wire Reports &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 PITTSTON TWP. -- United Express, which provides the only direct air service
between Wilkes-Barre-Scranton International Airport and Washington, D.C., will
discontinue its local operation at the end of October. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Airport officials cited low ridership and loss of money as the reasons the
airline is pulling out. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "For the last eight to nine months, the service has been losing money,"
said Barry Centini, executive director of the airport. "If we can't put people
on the airplanes, we're going to lose the service." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 About six full-time employees will lose their jobs at the airport, Centini
said. But he also said they might be offered jobs by United Express at a
different airport. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We are concerned over the fact they didn't talk to us about the problem,"
said Wy Gowell, assistant director and business manager of the airport. "We
watched the numbers. We saw the changing trend in ridership. There might have
been something we could have done to help them. We could have helped them with
advertising." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The airline began flying between Avoca and Dulles International Airport
near Washington, D.C., in June 1990. Its current schedule has three round-trip
weekday and Saturday flights to Dulles and two round-trip flights on Sundays. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We need a link to Washington D.C. from our airport," Gowell said. "We're
actively pursuing other carriers to pick up the Washington, D.C. flights." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 United Express operates a 19-seat Jetstream J-32 aircraft on the route.
Centini said United Express filled 747 of its 1,710 seats on August flights. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 He said people traveling by air from Wilkes-Barre-Scranton will be forced
to fly USAir Express commuter flights to Philadelphia and then go on to
Washington. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The problem I see is we are out of the United (Airlines) system now,"
Centini said. United Express feeds the larger airlines' hub at Dulles.
Connections can be made there to destinations around the world. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 USAir, USAir Express, Delta Airlines, Comair and Continental Express will
remain when United Express checks out on Oct. 30. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Airline Ends D.c. Direct Service The Decision By United Express Follows Months Of Declining Ridership, An Airport Official Says.