More travelers than ever are flying at Sarasota Bradenton airport, setting records
In November, 321,643 passengers traveled through Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, compared with 106,195 passengers in the same month a year ago.
The 203% increase in passenger traffic month-to-month was the second-largest surge in airport history, trailing only July when 326,947 passengers traveled through the SRQ terminal.
To date, 2,816,275 passengers have traveled through SRQ this year, smashing the previous annual record of 2,010,304 set in 1990.
This week, Allegiant begins new nonstop service to Tulsa and Washington, D.C. In addition, Delta restarts seasonal service to Minneapolis and Detroit, and JetBlue resumes service to Newark.
In January, the airport welcomes a new airline, Avelo, with nonstop service to New Haven, Connecticut. In March, Allegiant will begin new nonstops to Akron-Canton, Ohio and Appleton, Wisconsin.
These new and returning services are expected to propel the airport past the three million passenger mark for the year, with projections for a very busy 2022.
The heavy passenger traffic has airport officials scrambling to expand facilities to accommodate the growth.
“With the Christmas and New Year holidays fast approaching, we again want to remind travelers to take a little extra time getting to the airport. We recommend you arrive two hours before departure, check to ensure your flight is on-time, and make sure your carry-on and checked baggage is TSA compliant. Our aim is to make your travel through SRQ as stress-free and enjoyable as possible,” Rick Piccolo, airport president and CEO,” said in a press release.
This story was originally published December 16, 2021 at 10:30 AM.
