A record number of passengers passed through Sarasota Bradenton International in March
It appears that the downturn in passenger traffic at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is officially over.
For the month of March, passenger traffic soared to 277,590 passengers, breaking the all-time record of 255,247 passengers for a single month.
Passenger numbers increased 74% over the previous month of February. And it was 81% higher than March 2020, when passenger traffic was 153,246.
The airport had been one of the fastest growing in the United States, until last April when passenger traffic fell 95%, compared to April 2019, with fewer than 10,000 passengers traveling through the terminal.
“It is really exciting to see us break our record for the highest number of passengers in a single month. With the recent addition of Southwest Airlines, and expanded service on our nine other carriers, travelers now have a multitude of choices when making their travel plans,” Rick Piccolo, president and CEO of the airport, said in a press release.
“Now that a vaccine is readily available in the United States, domestic passenger travel has quickly returned to SRQ and we expect to see a record number of passengers through the remainder of the year,” Piccolo said.
In March 2018, SRQ had six airlines serving 12 nonstop destinations. For March 2021, SRQ had 10 airlines serving 45 nonstop destinations. This rapid growth has required the airport to expand the screening checkpoint, add additional parking, and install additional jet fuel storage.
Future projects that are currently in design include expanding the ground transportation area, adding additional parking for rental cars, constructing a new inline baggage handling system, and adding additional concessionaires, including new restaurants and gift shops.
In the first seven months of 2022, it is projected that SRQ will serve 2.5 million passengers, compared to 1.3 million in the same period of the 2020 pandemic year, and 1.3 million in the the year before the arrival of the pandemic.
Planned new destinations include:
▪ April 17 :Milwaukee, Wisc. (MKE) Southwest (new seasonal service)
▪ May 27: Peoria, Ill. (PIA) Allegiant (new seasonal service)
▪ May 28: Concord, N.C. (USA) Allegiant (new seasonal service)
