Trying to fly away from Hurricane Ian? What to know about Sarasota Bradenton Airport
Visitors seeking to fly out of Sarasota Bradenton International Airport ahead of Hurricane Ian are finding seats hard to come by.
And it’s not just SRQ experiencing a crush of travelers looking to leave the state.
“We were trying to be proactive ahead of the storm and were willing to travel as far as Jacksonville. Now most likely they won’t be able to get out and might have to drive back to New York,” said Sean Klentzin, a Florida resident who was trying to help visiting family members fly out of the state.
Saturday, the family attempted to change a JetBlue flight scheduled for Tuesday, but the airline wouldn’t change the flight without a $1,000 fee, he said.
In response to the Bradenton Herald’s request for comment, JetBlue said in an email Monday there are no change or cancellation fees on most of its fares, except Blue Basic where the fee is $100 per person.
Due to Tropical Storm Ian, Jet Blue has waived change/cancel fees and fare differences for customers traveling Monday through Friday from SRQ, Tampa, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Fort Myers and Jacksonville, the airline said.
Rick Piccolo, president and CEO of Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, said that flights were pretty full even before the approach of Ian.
“I am sure there are plenty of people trying to get on a flight. It’s supply and demand,” he said.
As of Monday morning, there had been no flight cancellations at SRQ, but the airport has been closely monitoring Ian since last week, Piccolo said.
Airport staff briefed all airport tenants and staff Monday morning on Ian, but there have been no changes in airport operations yet.
“It’s a little early. We will have to see how the storm tracks,” Piccolo said, urging travelers to keep an eye on their airline and their reservation status.
Monday morning, there was a hurricane watch from Englewood in the south to the Anclote River, including Tampa Bay in the north, including Manatee, Sarasota, Pinellas and coastal Hillsborough counties.
Passengers are not allowed to stay in the SRQ terminal during a tropical storm or hurricane.
“The airport is not a shelter,” Piccolo said.
During Monday afternoon’s Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority meeting, Piccolo said that it depends on the airlines and the weather, but that he thought that the airport might close at the latest Wednesday afternoon, and possibly reopen Friday.
The airport will be locked up during the time that the airport is closed and only essential personnel, including police, firefighters and maintenance, would be on duty, he said.
The air traffic control tower closes whenever winds hit 75 mph, he said.
This story was originally published September 26, 2022 at 11:49 AM.
