Timothy Edwards, executive director of the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, told the Cumberland County finance board that the authority’s four‑airport system is seeing strong traffic and infrastructure investment. He said the system is on track for a record year of passenger traffic and reported significant recent capital spending and cargo growth.

Edwards said SARA—operator of Harrisburg International Airport (HIA), Capital City Executive Airport, Gettysburg Regional Airport and Franklin County Regional Airport—adopted a strategic plan in 2025 to expand aviation services, invest in infrastructure and strengthen regional economic development. He told the board the authority expects to finish the calendar year near 815,000 passenger enplanements and pointed to multiple months in 2025 among the busiest in airport history.

The authority reported system capital spending of about $118 million across 46 projects over the referenced period and described a roughly $64 million multiphase cargo ramp expansion at HIA that Edwards said is essentially complete and will increase cargo airplane parking capacity by about 30 percent. Edwards also cited current cargo volumes and projections, noting HIA’s participation in the FedEx and UPS networks and forecasting future annual cargo throughput increases.

Edwards announced a new seasonal nonstop between Harrisburg International and Miami on American Airlines scheduled to begin in January 2026; he said the flight will depart at 7 a.m. on Saturdays for an initial trial period to improve connections to destinations in South America and the Caribbean. He also said the airshow planned for Memorial Day weekend 2026 remains under development and that military demonstration team participation (including the Blue Angels) is pending final scheduling.

Board members and attendees praised the airshow and asked follow‑up questions about the Miami service, concessionaire improvements, and competition from nearby airports. Edwards and Delta Development representatives answered questions about booking, scheduling changes and concession investments.

Edwards emphasized that SARA is funded primarily through operating revenue and federal aviation funding mechanisms, explaining that the Aviation Trust Fund and the Airport Improvement Program fund most airside infrastructure projects. He said the authority’s revenues come from passenger activity, parking, landing and gate fees, concessions and federal grants, and stressed that the airport system “pays for itself” from those sources.

The authority remained available for follow‑up questions at the end of its presentation.