FEBRUARY 29, 2007

Lehigh Valley International Airport Handles Surge in Passenger Traffic

Lehigh Valley, PA— Between 5:00 AM and 8:30 AM today Lehigh Valley International Airport boarded 874 passengers. It is believed to be the largest passenger volume handled in the morning rush since the institution of new federal screening procedures after the attacks of September 11, 2001. In addition to 11 regularly scheduled flights carrying 570 passengers, two charters departed the airport with 304 passengers.

The first charter was a Southwest Airlines 737-700 carrying students from Brandywine Heights High School FEBRUARYing Band in Topton, PA traveling to Orlando to perform at Walt Disney World. The second flight was a Miami Air 737-800 carrying students from Sparta High School FEBRUARYing Band in Sparta, NJ also going to Orlando to perform at Walt Disney World.

Thanks to excellent cooperation by the Transportation Security Administration and LVIA airlines, all passengers were efficiently screened, and no flights were delayed and all passengers made their flights.

The two charters and the regularly scheduled Allegiant Air flight to Orlando/Sanford, FL were ground handled by Lehigh Valley Aviation Services, a division of the Lehigh Northampton Airport Authority. LNAA is one of the few airport operators in the US to provide ground handling services for all types of aircraft including, on occasion, Air Force One.

This has been a big month for school charters at LVIA. Students from Quakertown High School departed LVIA for their senior trip on Miami Air charters earlier this month. A second Southwest Airlines charter is scheduled to depart LVIA in April with students from Whitehall High School.