Press Releases

Avoca, PA – U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) today announced a total federal award of $1,678,258 through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (AVP) to extend a taxiway and increase efficiency at our region’s only mid-sized airport. The funding is distributed through the FAA Airport Improvement Program and supported in part by CARES Act appropriations.

 For fiscal year 2020, Congress authorized $689 million for the Airport Improvement Program, 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 Rep. 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.”

 “This 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. With this grant, we are taking one step closer to completing this taxiway upgrade,” said Carl R. Beardsley, Jr.,

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

 The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is the only mid-sized airport in the region. It is situated between the two major cities in Avoca, PA and has served as a gateway to Northeastern Pennsylvania for 73 years.