Full of Challenges in February

March 24th, 2022 | Airport News

Winter weather and airlines cancellations impact passengers; Mask requirement extended

(Hanover Township, PA) – An active month for Mother Nature along with flight cancellations created a February full of challenges at Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE).

53,000 passengers traveled through ABE in February – a 101.5% percent increase from 2021.

Month                Passengers          Percentage increase        Month                Passengers

Feb. ‘22                 53,000                            101.5%                  Feb. ‘21                    26,299

“Last month (February) was our busiest month for snow removal operations. Additionally, airlines are still feeling the impacts of the pandemic on their labor force which certainly adjusted and reduced some of their flight schedules,” said Thomas R. Stoudt, Executive Director, Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority (LNAA).

By the numbers, United reported a massive passenger traffic increase of 156.5%, Delta jumped 144.6%, Allegiant moved up 99%, and American finished 60% ahead of last February.

Important for travelers: To ensure you don’t miss your flight at ABE, we advise all passengers to arrive at least 2 hours before their morning departure time to ensure processing through the TSA checkpoint in enough time to reach your gate for on-time boarding.  

“We’re preparing for an influx of passengers as Spring Break arrives over the next few weeks. Give yourself extra time as the TSA Checkpoint at ABE has the potential to experience longer lines, especially for morning departures. Cut it too close and you might miss your flight,” said Stoudt.

Reminder:  The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires face masks for all individuals while at transportation hubs through at least April 18, 2022. 

13,854,417 pounds of air cargo was processed through Lehigh Valley International Airport in February – a decrease of 3.12% from Feb. 2021.

Month                Cargo (lbs.)              Percentage decrease             Month              Cargo (lbs.)

Feb. ’22              13,854,417                             -3.12%                        Feb. ’21             14,299,887