Cartwright announces $1.6M in federal funds for AVP

Amid months of pandemic-related bad news, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (AVP) on Wednesday received some good news.

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Moosic, announced that the Pittston Township facility has received $1,678,258 through the Federal Aviation Administration to extend a taxiway.

The funding is distributed through the FAA Airport Improvement Program and supported in part by CARES Act appropriations.

Airport Executive Director Carl R. Beardsley, Jr., said the grant will fund components of a project that will ultimately result in extending AVP’s primary taxiway until it is fully parallel with AVP’s primary runway.

“When completed, the extended taxiway will create a streamlined airport layout that is more efficient for the aircraft operators who use AVP,” Beardsley said. “With this grant, we are taking one step closer to completing this taxiway upgrade.”

“The support of Congressman Matt Cartwright was instrumental in making this important grant a reality. We are extremely thankful for his efforts,” Beardsley added.

Overall, Congress authorized $689 million for the Airport Improvement Program for Fiscal Year 2020, and later supplemented it with an additional $104.4 million through the CARES Act.

“This is a smart investment in a vital local transportation hub and our economy,” said Cartwright, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “It is crucial we use this stimulus to repair our infrastructure and be primed for growth. I commend Carl Beardsley and the AVP team for being responsive to changing needs due to COVID-19 while maintaining a steady course on long-term goals.”

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year, AVP had been enjoying a long run of record-setting passenger numbers. The pandemic has, however, severely hit traffic here as at airports around the world.

Beardsley did say last month, however, that the airport is beginning to see demand grow once again, and a turnaround is expected.