Lehigh Valley air travel is up, plus when nonstop Denver flights are ending — for now

Lehigh Valley International Airport saw a year-to-year 16.5% passenger increase for the month of May, according to a news release.

Airport spokesman Colin Riccobon attributes the increase to nonstop service to Orlando on Allegiant Air and an American Airlines bus service to Philadelphia.

In May, 85,243 passengers used the airport outside Allentown, in Hanover Township, Lehigh County. That’s the most in any month of May since 2004, according to the news release Monday from the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority that owns and operates LVIA.

However, the airport is losing Allegiant’s nonstop flights to Denver in November, according to Allegiant spokesman Andrew Porrello. The airline started providing that service in June 2023.

The airline brands itself as a low-cost alternative to leisure travelers, which necessitates a “seasonal hiatus” for some routes, Porrello said. Most travelers in this area fly to Denver in the warmer months, he said.

“For competitive reasons, we can’t share future route plans, but there’s always a possibility for this route to return in 2025,” Porrello said.

Despite the news about the Denver connection, Allegiant’s passenger traffic at LVIA jumped 31.7% this May compared to May 2023, the release says. American Airlines’ passenger traffic jumped 16.8% in May 2024 compared to last May. That traffic includes passengers on American Airlines’ Landline bus service for Lehigh Valley travelers to catch flights in Philadelphia.

The pre-summer travel surge is a precursor to heavy summer travel, according to the airport authority executive director, Thomas Stoudt.

“Summertime is always very busy at (the airport), and we anticipate that trend will hold true in the next few months,” Stoudt said.

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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com.