More traffic expected at SRQ airport, thanks to Southwest. These new flights are coming
The arrival of Southwest Airlines at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport on Sunday is expected to spark rapid growth in passenger numbers over the next few months.
Four of the six new destinations being added to SRQ in March are by Southwest Airlines and two are by Allegiant, which since 2018 has been the catalyst for making the airport one of the fastest growing in the United States.
Sunday morning, bustling passenger traffic in the SRQ terminal was reminiscent of the days before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Approximately 4,500 passengers went through the airport’s security checkpoint on Sunday.
“That was a good day,” Rick Piccolo, president and CEO of the airport, said Wednesday.
SRQ’s passenger traffic increased 6 percent in January over December, totaling 126,704 compared to 119,114 passengers. That is still only 56% of the level in January 2020, before the pandemic, when there were 225,655 passengers.
“With Southwest Airlines now serving SRQ, we expect our February passenger numbers to be strong and our March numbers to be close to where they were in 2019,” Piccolo said.
The severe freezing weather affecting much of the United States was affecting SRQ with eight or nine flights being canceled on Monday, Piccolo said.
“With almost every major U.S. airline now serving our airport, providing low fares and an abundance of destinations, the local community and visitors can experience the convenience of flying directly to their destination without the hassle of driving to or from other airports outside our area. We hope the community embraces all this new service and makes SRQ their first choice when traveling by air,” Piccolo said.
On Sunday, Southwest Airlines launched service between SRQ and four destination: Baltimore/Washington, Houston, Nashville, and Chicago.
SRQ now has 10 airlines serving 44 destinations.
The following are start dates for new service:
▪ March 11 Atlanta (ATL) Southwest (year-round service)
▪ March 13 Columbus, Ohio (CMH) Southwest (new seasonal service)
▪ March 13 Indianapolis (IND) Southwest (new seasonal service)
▪ March 13 Pittsburgh (PIT) Southwest (new seasonal service)
▪ May 27 Peoria, Ill. (PIA) Allegiant (new seasonal service)
▪ May 28 Concord, N.C. (USA) Allegiant (new seasonal service)
This story was originally published February 17, 2021 at 11:26 AM.
