An E145 jet from Philadelphia lands Wednesday afternoon at the Williamsport Regional Airport with a water cannon welcome. This flight marks the beginning of jet service at the airport. KAREN VIBERT-KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

A Montoursville woman was one of the first passengers aboard the Williamsport Regional Airport’s new aircraft, which flew into town with a water cannon welcome from Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon.

Kim McCloskey, who was visiting family in Florida for Thanksgiving, was more than pleased with the new Embraer 145 regional jet, which can seat 50 passengers, and is more modern and more quiet, she said.

“It was a very nice flight, very smooth,” McCloskey said, adding she and her husband travel often. “We

always try to fly out of here and support the airport. Now it’s even more convenient.”

She added that some passengers knew ahead of time their plane would arrive to fanfare and a water wall, thanks to fire trucks parked on either side of the runway. Others, however, were surprised, she said with a laugh.

McCloskey was one of a handful of people who flew on the jet’s maiden voyage to Montoursville before it was reloaded with new passengers to fly back to Philadelphia. The airport now will solely be served by the Embraer 145s. The jets add 16 seats from the 34-seat Dash 8 turboprops previously used.

It also flies at higher altitudes, allowing pilots to bypass some weather problems that may have kept the Dash 8s grounded, airport officials said.

“We fly a lot faster, so we have to react quicker,” said pilot Patrick Balagot. “We also fly at higher altitudes.”

Balagot added it is common to have a water cannon salute to celebrate the retirement of pilots or aircrafts, as well as to “christen” new aircrafts. Though he prefers flying the jets, he said, the Dash 8s will be missed.

“We flew them for such a long time and they mean a lot to a lot of our pilots,” Balagot said.

Chris Logue, chairman of the Williamsport Municipal Airport Authority, said having the jets will be a great advantage to the travelling public.

“These improvements place us on the cutting edge of design and service,” he said. “This speaks to the confidence American Airlines puts in our airport.”

His cohort on the authority, Frank Pellegrino, added the airport will continue to push for new destinations, specifically naming an American Airlines hub in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“It’s within the jet’s capabilities,” Pellegrino said.

“One step at a time,” Logue smiled.