(Middletown, PA – October 28, 2015)  Passengers and visitors will soon have the ability to charge their electric vehicles at Harrisburg International Airport (HIA) while they travel or wait to pick up passengers. The Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority (SARAA) board today approved an agreement with Blink Network, LLC to install two Direct Current Fast Charging Stations (DCFC) at HIA.

Blink Network is a subsidiary of Car Charging Group, Inc. (CCGI), which was awarded a PA Alternative Fuel Incentive Grant to locate electric car charging stations throughout PA. CCGI currently has over 13,550 charging stations in 35 states, including along the PA turnpike at New Stanton, Bowmansville, and Elverson. The stations at HIA will offer turnpike drivers a charging option midway between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Each station will have two connection points and be available for users 24/7. A full DCFC charging time takes approximately 30 minutes. SARAA anticipates the first station, located in the cell phone lot, will be operational during the first quarter of 2016. The second station will be installed at a later time in the parking garage. The cost to use the station is 49 cents per kWh for guests or 39 cents per kWh for Blink Members, which is a free program. SARAA will receive 7% of net revenues generated from the sale of car charging services.

“We are pleased to be able to offer this service to our passengers and visitors,” said Stephen Libhart, SARAA board member. “Enabling drivers to charge their electric cars on site is another way HIA can provide an Altogether Better experience.”

Financial Advisor and IT Master Plan Firms Selected

The SARAA board approved a three year agreement with Public Financial Management (PFM), Inc. of Harrisburg PA for financial advisory services. PFM will assist SARAA with an upcoming bond refinancing opportunity when SARAA’s 2008A bonds become callable in early 2018.

The board also approved a contract with Elert & Associates to complete a master plan for SARAA’s IT Department. The master plan will assist SARAA staff in evaluating existing systems including network infrastructure, hardware, software, telecommunications and numerous other IT related functions, and make recommendations for improvements to be implemented in the near future.

Cargo Tonnage continues to increase at HIA

SARAA reported that 36,890 tons of cargo landed at HIA between January and September, 2015, an increase of 4.7% when compared to the same time period in 2014. Cargo tonnage for September 2015 was up 18.9 percent compared to September 2014 tonnage.

Nearly 891,000 passengers traveled through HIA between January and September, 2015, which is down by 8.3%, compared to the same time period in 2014. Allegiant and Air Canada continue to show an increase in passenger traffic, up 25.2 and 11.3 percent year to date, respectively.

Next SARAA Meeting December 2, 2015

The next SARAA Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8:00 a.m. in the David C. McIntosh board room at Harrisburg International Airport.

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Five airlines serve Harrisburg International Airport (HIA) offering about 60 flights daily to 10 non-stop destinations.  The Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority (SARAA) owns HIA, Capital City Airport in New Cumberland and both Franklin County and Gettysburg Regional Airports.  Incorporated in 1997, SARAA is a multi-municipal authority whose mission is to serve the region by providing high quality, efficient airports and promoting regional economic development.  Combined these four facilities handle about 90,000 aircraft operations and generate a total economic output of more than $990 million annually.