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HIA readies for Pittsburgh flights as traffic continues to climb
Roger DuPuis//October 27, 2016
September saw the fifth consecutive monthly traffic increase at HIA, officials said this week, with 105,489 passengers using the facility. That is an 11.8 percent increase over September 2015.
So far in 2016, 894,273 passengers have been recorded, which is an increase of 0.4% compared to 2015.
Next week will see two destinations added to HIA’s lineup, with Southern Airways Express inaugurating non-stop Pittsburgh flights on Monday, followed by non-stop service to Venango Regional Airport, near Franklin, in northwestern Pennsylvania, starting Tuesday.
Monday’s flight will mark the first service between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh since 2008, while service to Venango Regional Airport is new to the facility.
“We are thrilled to be connected with Pittsburgh once again,” airport Executive Director Timothy Edwards said, predicting the service will have great appeal to business travelers.
The service will use 9-passenger Cessna Caravan turboprop commuter planes.
Venango, meanwhile, is in the state’s natural gas-drilling region, not far from Oil City. It’s also within 30 miles of several large colleges, including Slippery Rock University and Clarion University, and a 75 minute drive to downtown Erie, which takes about five hours to reach by car from Harrisburg. Rental cars are available at the airport, HIA officials said.
