New flight to Sarasota-Bradenton airport will bring visitors escaping the cold
Sarasota Bradenton International Airport added a record nine new destinations in November.
The pace of passenger growth at SRQ, which has pushed it to the forefront of the fastest growing airports in the United States, will be more sedate this month. The only new service will be Sun Country Airlines’ seasonal service, starting on Dec. 20 between SRQ and Minneapolis, a city known for its winters.
For the record, Accuweather forecasts a high of 29 degrees, and a low of 18 in Minneapolis for the inaugural flight to SRQ. The Accuweather forecast for the Bradenton-Sarasota area calls for a high of 76 and a low of 59.
Sun Country Airlines, a privately held company based in Minneapolis/St. Paul, has been on something of a growth spurt itself, adding 32 nonstop routes and nine new cities to its network since 2018.
Sun Country bills itself as a leader in leisure travel, “offering scheduled passenger service on more than 85 routes to more than 50 popular destinations in the U.S., Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, many of which are served seasonally to match peak leisure travel demand.
Sun Country also offers charter group service for one-time events or long-term needs to most destinations in the world with a nonstop range of 2,600 nautical miles.
SRQ now offers nearly 40 destinations. The most recent additions:
- United Airlines started twice-daily year-round nonstop service between SRQ and Washington Dulles (IAD) on Oct. 27.
- Frontier Airlines started seasonal service between SRQ and Trenton, N.J. (TTN) on Nov. 15.
Allegiant Airlines added seven new destinations serving Sarasota Bradenton International Airport in November 2019. Photo provided - Allegiant started year-round service between SRQ and Knoxville, Tenn. (TYS) on Nov. 21.
- Allegiant started seasonal service between SRQ and Chicago Rockford (RFD) on Nov. 23.
- Allegiant started seasonal service between SRQ and Des Moines, Iowa (DSM) on Nov. 23.
All airlines serving Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, including legacy carriers, like American, have recorded gains in passenger traffic in recent years. Bradenton Herald file photo - Allegiant started seasonal service between SRQ and Flint, Mich. (FNT) on Nov. 24
- Allegiant started seasonal service between SRQ and Fort Wayne, Ind. (FWA) on Nov. 24.
- Allegiant started seasonal service between SRQ and Louisville, Ky. (SDF) on Nov. 25.
- Allegiant started seasonal service between SRQ and South Bend, Ind. (SBN) on Nov. 25.
For more information about Sun Country Airlines, visit https://www.suncountry.com/about
This story was originally published December 5, 2019 at 6:00 AM.
