Southwest starts flying from Sarasota-Bradenton on Feb. 14. It has added more destinations
Southwest Airlines announced today they will be adding three additional nonstop routes to their schedule at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.
The routes will be Saturdays only from March 13 through April 10. The newly announced destinations include Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh.
The new seasonal service will be in addition to daily service announced Nov. 19 to Baltimore/Washington, Chicag-Midway) Nashville, Tenn., and Houston-Hobby. These destinations are currently available to book online at Southwest.com and tickets can be purchased as far out as mid-August.
Southwest Airlines, whose stock ticker symbol is LUV, will begin service at SRQ starting on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.
“It is exciting to see Southwest Airlines adding new service at SRQ. With seven destinations now being offered, the community will have more choices when making their travel plans,” Rick Piccolo, president and CEO of Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, said in a press release.
“It is our hope that the community and visitors will embrace the new service and take advantage of the low fares, travel flexibility, and free checked bag policy that Southwest provides to their customers,” Piccolo said.
Southwest, the world’s largest low-cost carrier, and one of the airlines most requested by passengers at SRQ, disclosed in a filing Nov. 12 with the Securities and Exchange Commission, that it planned to add service to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.
For years, Piccolo had worked closely with local tourist development agencies, chambers of commerce, and economic development groups to make Southwest service at SRQ a reality.
SRQ currently has 10 airlines providing nonstop service to 40 destinations. Service in October had recovered to about 63 percent of its pre-COVID-19 pandemic level, when SRQ was one of the nation’s fastest growing airports.
Allegiant, another low-cost carrier, led the surge in passenger traffic at SRQ. Allegiant began service to Boston Logan International Airport in November, its most recent destination. Allegiant now serves 22 destinations out of Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.
This story was originally published December 10, 2020 at 1:35 PM.
