Sarasota Bradenton Airport Breaks Record For Monthly Passengers

SARASOTA, FL — During the month of March, passenger traffic at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) soared to 277,590 passengers, breaking the all-time record of 255,247 passengers for a single month at the airport, according to a news release.

Passenger numbers also increased 74 percent over the previous month of February. Compared to March 2020, passenger traffic was 81 percent higher than the 2020 level of 153,246, the airport said.

“It is really exciting to see us break our record for the highest number of passengers in a single month. With the recent addition of Southwest Airlines, and expanded service on our nine other carriers, travelers now have a multitude of choices when making their travel plans,” Rick Piccolo, president and CEO, said.

He added, “Now that a (COVID-19) vaccine is readily available in the United States, domestic passenger travel has quickly returned to SRQ and we expect to see a record number of passengers through the remainder of the year.”

In March 2018, SRQ had six airlines serving 12 nonstop destinations. As of March 2021, SRQ had 10 airlines serving 45 nonstop destinations. This airport has also expanded its screening checkpoint, added additional parking and installed additional jet fuel storage.

Future projects planned include expanding the ground transportation area, adding additional parking for rental cars, constructing a new inline baggage handling system and adding additional concessionaires, including new restaurants and gift shops.