Lehigh Valley International Airport announces another nonstop route

HANOVER TWP., Pa. – M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E.

Disney enthusiasts might be excited by an early morning announcement Tuesday from Lehigh Valley International Airport in Lehigh County.

• Lehigh Valley International Airport announced a new destination on Tuesday
• Allegiant will run nonstop flights from the Lehigh Valley to Melbourne Orlando Int'l Airport
• It's the sixth direct route to Florida from the Lehigh Valley

“Allegiant has announced nonstop service from ABE to Melbourne Orlando International Airport starting on November 17th,” a tweet said.

It would be the sixth direct route to Florida from LVIA, and the second in the Orlando area.

Allegiant also flies direct to Orlando Sanford International Airport.

Improvements, enhancements here and there

Orlando is known for Disney, along with amusement parks such as Universal Studios and SeaWorld.

But the new route to this central Florida tourist hotspot will actually land in Melbourne, a city on Florida’s Space Coast.

It will keep the flow of visitors into the region moving through an airport that has seen new upgrades, like its Lehigh Valley counterpart.

Melbourne Orlando International Airport recently opened an upgraded passenger terminal featuring an additional 86,000 square feet. The expansion includes a welcome center, modernized screening checkpoints and more.

In the Lehigh Valley, the airport is on track to get a new hotel, after its Board of Governors voted 8-5 on June 4 to adopt terms for the project.

LVIA also held an event June 15 to commemorate the start of a new nonstop flight destination to Denver, and will soon open a new TSA Checkpoint and Terminal Connector later this summer.

The $35 million project will bring several enhancements, including four checkpoint screening lanes, improved vertical circulation equipment such as elevators and escalators, and enhanced air purification systems.