Momentum in May

June 23rd, 2022 | Airport News

83,502 passengers chose ABE in May

(Hanover Township, PA) – Early signs of momentum for an expected busy summer travel season are supported by Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) eclipsing the May passenger traffic numbers from 2019 (76,400).

Last month, 83,502 passengers traveled through ABE – highest total for May since 2004.

Month                Passengers          Percentage increase         Month                Passengers

May ‘22                 83,502                              16.7%                    May ‘21                  71,512

“Industry experts created plenty of anticipation regarding the impending rise in passenger activity at airports across the country.  We’ve used 2019 as our best measuring stick to gauge ABE passenger levels, and travel demand continues to climb in the market with summer vacation season poised for takeoff,” said Thomas R. Stoudt, Executive Director, Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority (LNAA).

By the numbers, Allegiant reported a massive passenger traffic increase of 43.5%, while United moved up 9.8%. Delta activity dropped 1.7% and American slightly decreased 6.4% vs. last May.

Heavy volumes of air travelers are expected from June – August, so the Airport advises all passengers departing between 5:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to arrive at least 2 hours before their flight to ensure you reach your gate for on-time boarding.

Travel tips to remember:

• Boarding begins 30-minutes prior to departure
• Checked bags will not be accepted less than 30 minutes before departure
• Aircraft doors close 15 minutes before their posted departure time and will not reopen
• With (2) TSA Checkpoint processing lanes operating at ABE, there is the potential for additional wait times due to a heavy volume of passengers

“Not giving yourself extra time to park, check-in, process through TSA, and reach your gate could result in missing your flight,” said Stoudt.

16,650,920 pounds of air cargo was processed through Lehigh Valley International Airport in May  – a decrease of 8.0% from May 2021.

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

May ’22               16,650,920                             8.0%                           May ’21           18,113,022