Breeze Airways will offer flights to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, two days a week starting July 1 from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, the airline announced.
The flights mean local travelers will be able to fly to four Florida destinations through Breeze, the airport’s only airline serving the Sunshine State.
The Fort Lauderdale flights will depart Wednesdays and Saturdays. Breeze will offer $79 one-way fares at first.
To get the fare, a passenger must buy the ticket by March 2 to fly on Wednesdays between July 1 and Sept. 15, according to a Breeze news release.
Airport assistant executive director BJ Teichman said Breeze also plans to add Thursday and Sunday flights to Fort Lauderdale, but with a connecting flight through Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, or Tampa, Florida. They are scheduled to start July 2. Prices on these flights were unavailable.
Flying to Florida
Breeze already offers four daily flights to Fort Myers, Florida, on Mondays and Fridays; four daily flights to Orlando, Florida, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; and four daily flights on Sundays and Thursdays to Tampa, according to an online airport schedule.
The airline offered flights to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, but suspended them Jan. 5, according to the schedule.
Breeze, one of the nation’s newest low-cost airlines, began flights from the airport in January 2024.
An important connection
The Fort Lauderdale flights will represent a nearby connection to Florida’s largest vacation market, Miami. Fort Lauderdale is about 30 miles north. Breeze does not offer direct flights to Miami from the local airport.
Teichman credited Beth Coslett, the airport’s director of flight service development, for the new flights and said she’s excited for airport travelers.
“I think for our residents, the route creates a direct connection from Northeast PA to southern Florida for easy access to beautiful beaches, winter getaways, and, of course, two cruise reports,” Teichman said. “Fort Lauderdale International Airport is only five miles from Port Everglades and 26 miles from PortMiami.”
In another development, the airport will gain a third daily United Airlines flight to Washington, D.C., on March 6, according to airport schedules.
