Passenger and Cargo Airlines are Adding Flights for Summer 

(Middletown, PA – April 30, 2021) – March 2021 was the busiest month at Harrisburg International Airport in a year as 65,402 total passengers used the airport. 

“While March traffic was still down 2.8% versus March 2020, departing passengers actually increased 4.7 percent,” said Timothy Edwards, executive director.  “Since mid-February, travel has increased almost weekly, as airlines have added flights and planes are becoming increasingly full.” 

Edwards said travel is picking up due to more people being vaccinated, domestic travel restrictions being lifted, the success of travel related health and safety protocols and the wish to reconnecting with family, friends, and some business acquaintances.  “While leisure travel continues generate the large majority of trips, business travel is starting to return.” 

During March, HIA served 52 percent of March 2019’s record of 125,157 passengers.  “Considering April 2020 traffic was just 4 percent of April 2019, we’ve come a long way,” said Edward. 

Non-Stop Myrtle Beach and Boston Service Resume

Allegiant will resume summer seasonal nonstop flights to Myrtle Beach on Friday, May 7^th.  Allegiant’s Myrtle Beach flights will be offered every Monday and Friday until Memorial Day, then the schedule will be expanded to every Sunday, Thursday, and Saturday through August 15^th. 

American Airlines will resume nonstop flights to Boston on Thursday, June 3^rd with flights offered every Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday. 

Edwards noted “both the Myrtle Beach and Boston schedules set up nicely for quick weekend getaways or for weeklong vacations.  Flights to both cities are less than ninety minutes which is certainly faster than six, seven or eight-hour drives.”  

Air Cargo Continues to Grow

March 2021 was the tenth consecutive month for air cargo growth at HIA.  March cargo was up 27 percent compared to March 2020.  “Since June 2020, air cargo is up 13 percent at HIA as more and more people have transitioned to online purchasing.  FedEx is regularly tweaking its flight schedule to match demand; UPS is now flying larger aircraft and DHL will be expanding to jet service in May.” 

Airport officials believe summer 2021 passenger traffic could return to between 60 and 65 percent of 2019—the airport’s busiest year.       

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About Harrisburg International Airport:

Five airlines serve Harrisburg International Airport (HIA) offering nearly 50 peak day flights to and from 14 nonstop destinations.  The Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority (SARAA) owns HIA, Capital City Executive Airport in New Cumberland and both Franklin County and Gettysburg Regional Airports.  Incorporated in 1997, SARAA is a multi-municipal authority whose mission is to serve the region by providing high quality, efficient airports and promoting regional economic development.  Combined these four facilities handle about 80,000 aircraft operations and generate a total economic output of more than $990 million annually.