POSTED: June 7, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Colleen Gerrity, 570-341-1050
Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) announced that the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport received $2,380,828 from the government funding and coronavirus relief package enacted in December 2020. Administered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the grant provides funding for costs related to operations, personnel, cleaning, sanitation, janitorial services and combating the spread of pathogens at the airport.
“Now more than ever, our airports need our support as more Americans start to feel more comfortable with air travel again. We need our airports to be well equipped to keep travelers and staff members safe,” said Rep. Cartwright, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “AVP is essential to our local economy and welcomes passengers from throughout the region as they travel across the country and beyond. Carl Beardsley and the entire AVP team have worked hard to respond to changing needs during the pandemic, and I am proud to support the funding our airport needs to continue to thrive.”
“We greatly appreciate the support we have received from Congressman Cartwright and our other elected officials who recognize the importance of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport to this region,” said Carl R. Beardsley, Executive Director of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. “We’ll be good stewards of these funds, which will help us to advance efforts that will improve passenger convenience, allow for more touchless interactions, create greater terminal efficiency and ensure safety in ways that will set AVP apart from others.”
The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriation Act (CRRSA), passed as part of the government funding omnibus in December 2020, provided nearly $2 billion in economic relief for U.S. airports as they continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The FAA established the Airport Coronavirus Response Grant Program (ACRGP) to distribute the funds to all airports in the national airport system, including commercial service airports, reliever airports and some public-owned general aviation airports.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is the only mid-sized airport in the region and it has served as a gateway to Northeastern Pennsylvania for more than 70 years.
###
Congressman Matt Cartwright is a member of House Democratic Leadership as a co-chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC). He is a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, where he serves as Chair of the Commerce-Justice-Science Subcommittee, Vice Chair of the Financial Services & General Government Subcommittee, and a member of the Interior & Environment Subcommittee. Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District includes Lackawanna, Wayne, and Pike Counties and portions of Luzerne and Monroe Counties.