Sarasota Bradenton airport has busiest month ever, sets new record as demand ‘exploded’
Sarasota Bradenton International Airport set a new single-month passenger record in March when 442,846 travelers passed through the terminal.
This was a 59.5% increase over the number of passengers served in March 2021.
Passengers traveling through the airport year-to-date totaled 1,085,500, compared to 564,066 year-to-date in 2021, an increase of 92%.
“We are pleased to see so many travelers were able to experience the convenience of our airport the past three months. These record-breaking passenger numbers were unimaginable just a few years ago before SRQ grew to 11 airlines and 53 nonstop destinations,” Rick Piccolo, president and CEO of the airport, said in a press release.
“The demand to live, work, and vacation in our community has exploded, and we are seeing the repercussions of this,” he said.
The airport has responded to the demand by increasing aircraft fuel storage, expanding the screening checkpoint, adding parking lots, and opening more food and beverage concessions.
“For 2022, we expect to break ground on over $150 million in construction projects including a new five-gate terminal. We appreciate the community’s patience as we improve the airport and strive to maintain the easy, convenient travel experience passengers enjoy when flying SRQ,” Piccolo said.
Allegiant Air starts nonstop service to Austin, Texas (AUS) on April 14.
SRQ’s newest airline, Breeze Airways, will start service with nonstop flights to Hartford, Conn., beginning June 4.
This story was originally published April 13, 2022 at 2:38 PM.
