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Last month, 309,127 passengers traveled through the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. It’s an increase of 7 percent since June 2022.
The 12-month activity through June 2023 totals 4,144,917 passengers, a 9% increase compared to 3,795,854 passengers for the 12 months through June 2022.
The first half of calendar year 2023 has seen a 14% increase in passenger traffic over the same period in 2022.
”The Sarasota Bradenton International Airport continues to trend in exponential growth. We are taking initiative to ensure our forward progress on the multitude of construction projects currently underway. As airlines publish holiday flight schedules we look forward to an increase in available service as compared to 2022,” stated Rick Piccolo, President, CEO of the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.
Sarasota Bradenton International Airport is experiencing a significant surge in passenger traffic during May 2023, and in response, the airport is taking proactive measures to accommodate the influx of travelers visiting the Suncoast region.
To address the growth, the airport has announced plans to construct three new parking lots, install five additional gates, and implement new security checkpoint lanes. These developments, along with other projects worth $200 million, are expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
A new route to and from the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport will begin delivering SRQ passengers this November to the Wilmington Airport in Delaware, according to a news release.
Avelo Airlines will offer the nonstop route from the Sarasota Bradenton airport to Wilmington Airport (ILG) starting Nov. 2, aimed at passengers seeking a "convenient and travel-friendly alternative to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) for travelers heading to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the greater Delaware Valley Region."
The route will be offered twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays, according to the news release.
The flight will be Sarasota Bradenton airport's 54th nonstop flight as the local airport has experienced tremendous growth in the number of direct flights in recent years as the passenger count climbed to record levels during the COVID-19 pandemic as oversees tourism virtually stopped.
Expansions and enhancements continue at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport this summer as the newest addition to the fast-growing airport, a new cell phone lot, was announced by the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority (SMAA) on Friday.
The new Cell Phone Lot is directly across from the former temporary location at t 1180 Rental Car Rd. and offers easy access from Old Bradenton Rd or the main airport entry on University Parkway.
Sarasota Bradenton International Airport President and CEO, Rick Piccolo said in a news release that the new lot will help curb wait times for drivers and airport customers.
“The new cell phone lot will offer the amenities necessary to ease the process of waiting for arrivingpassengers at SRQ. We encourage all airport patrons to use this new lot or park in our short-termparking lot, when picking up passengers at the airport.”
The new SRQ airport cell phone lot has 124 paved parking spaces, including five handicapped-accessible spots. The lot also was designed with restrooms, vending machines, LED lighting and secured with fencing.
Lot users and airport visitors will also see two news large 8’ x1 6’ screen displays in the coming months in the lot. The screens are scheduled to be installed within the next six months and will provide updated information on flight arrival times. Cell phone lot users can currently find Sarasota Bradenton International Airport flight information on the airport website or by downloading the AeroCloud app.
The airport continues to expand not only its footprint and amenities but its options for destinations and routes almost monthly.
In 2022 at the Venice Municipal Airport, one plane descended right in front of another. In aviation vernacular, that goes into the books as an NMAC – or Near Mid Air Collision.
"This is a common occurrence at this airport," one of the pilots wrote in a report. "All attempts to have a tower installed have failed."
In 2021 at the Venice Municipal Airport, there was another NMAC involving two small planes.
"He came under us 20-30 feet," one of the pilots wrote in a report. "I don't even think he noticed us. I even felt his wake when he came too close."
In 2019 at the Venice Municipal Airport, there was another … well, you get the idea.
"I was almost T-boned," one pilot wrote. "I have had several incidents at this airport like this. Almost every time up, someone is not following procedure. This airport is in desperate need of a tower.
"There are a lot of students, inexperienced pilots, and older pilots. Many of them do not follow proper procedure. It becomes extremely dangerous.
"There is going to mid-air collision at this airport if action is not taken."
This week the New York Times published a report about near-collisions in the air and on runways, and it was jarring. There were 46 close calls at U.S. airports last month alone. "Potentially dangerous incidents are occurring far more frequently than almost anyone realizes," the story reported.
The report mentioned a short span of several weeks between January and March, when close calls happened in New York, Austin, Burbank, Boston, and Sarasota.
On Feb. 16 at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, an Air-Canada Rouse A-321 was cleared for takeoff, and on the same runway, an American Airlines B 737 was cleared to land. They came within 3,100 feet of each other before the plane cleared to land and pulled up.
The New York Times based some of its reporting on a database maintained by NASA that contains confidential safety reports filed by pilots and air traffic controllers. The reports are voluntary, anonymous, and are not independently corroborated.
That database contains reports filed from incidents occurring at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport and Venice Municipal Airport dating back at least 20 years.
While flying statistically remains the safest course of travel, and there has not been a major crash in this country for 14 years, the longest stretch in U.S. history, the number of near-collisions is certainly something to be aware of.
The near-collisions aren't always between two planes either. In 2020, a captain reported nearly hitting an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, or UAV, at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. He described it as red and black and thought it might be a drone.
Sarasota Bradenton International Airport is reporting a 10% increase in total passenger numbers as summer travel winds down.
In August 2023, 261,091 passengers traveled through SRQ. The airport reports that is an increase of 10% as compared to August 2022 despite the impact of Hurricane Idalia, which shut down air service for a couple days in August.
Passengers traveling through the airport year-to-date totaled 2,973,800, a 14% increase over the first 8 months of 2022.
”As the summer travel season draws to a close, the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport is thrilled to have reported an overall increase in total passengers for each summer month. The positive trajectory of passenger traffic at SRQ is expected to continue well into the fall season with the addition of new and returning flight services,” stated Rick Piccolo, President, CEO of the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.
Rezoning will permit the eventual commercial development of airport property while the Sarasota bayfront gets another condo tower.
In preparation for eventual commercial development and parking expansion, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport is seeking rezoning of multiple blocks of non-developed and planned redevelopment property.
The airport is located in three jurisdictions, most of it in Manatee County, comprising much of the airfield and the north half of the airside. The southern portion is in the city of Sarasota with the land in between in unincorporated Sarasota County.
In the mid-1980s the airport was classified as a development of regional impact (DRI) and since then has been subject to three DRI regulations governed by regional boards in all three jurisdictions.
Now in the process of terminating the DRIs in favor of local zoning, representatives of the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport Authority appeared before the Sarasota Planning Board on Sept. 13, requesting rezoning of several parcels within the city for future commercial and parking facility development. In the process, the airport is seeking revenue-producing development while simultaneously addressing parking shortages brought on by explosive growth in passenger traffic since the pandemic.
There is an iconic line in the 1975 movie “Jaws” where the character of Police Chief Martin Brody says, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” The Sarasota Bradenton International Airport has been experiencing unprecedented growth over the last three years, going from approximately 1.3 million passengers a year to approximately 4.3 million this year. Obviously “we need a bigger boat.”
More than $200 million of improvements are currently underway, including a five-gate terminal expansion, a new baggage screening system, new parking lots, a new ground transportation center and a new cellphone lot. Some, such as the cellphone lot, are now complete while many others are getting to their most robust and critical stages just as the region enters the busy winter/spring travel season. While these improvements will result in a roomier, more convenient, and more efficient facility, there are some challenges ahead that may impact your experience.
While the typical summer slowdown brought some temporary pressure relief, passenger traffic continues to increase by 14% in 2023 and seat projections over the next six months show that trend continuing. This is great news for travel consumers and the many businesses in our community that depend on tourism; however, it adds to the challenges of maintaining the level of convenience while completing significant facility improvements.
The existing terminal facility is the primary area where passengers will encounter some inconveniences during the extensive renovation work being accomplished over the next six months. The existing baggage system is being shut down in different stages to allow construction of the new system, which will leave only two-thirds of the existing system operational. During this time the airport is utilizing ancillary baggage screening machines located in the ticket lobby. Since these machines are not part of an integrated system, the processing of bags is slower. The Airport Authority has hired about 20 baggage handling personnel to move bags by hand whenever there is a delay due to system issues. They have done a wonderful job over the summer, and the winter traffic will test their efficiency.
The start of replacement and expansion of the existing escalators has just started. The down escalator to baggage is closed off, which requires deplaning passengers to utilize the stairway or the elevators. When completed, the airport will have double the escalator capacity and more robust, heavy-duty machinery. Once the down escalators are completed, replacement and expansion of the up escalators will begin.
Another area of the existing terminal that is undergoing some renovation is the B boarding gate concourse. All the original large gate podiums and backwalls are being removed and replaced with smaller more efficient check-in podiums. This will increase the usable square footage in the concourse for seating and increase the efficiency of the boarding process. The added room can also accommodate more shopping and food and beverage facilities, as well as move queuing lines closer to the boarding door and away from the center concourse corridor. In conjunction with this renovation, the Airport Authority is reviewing submittals from several major firms to improve and expand both the retail and food and beverage options at the airport. Renovated restroom facilities are under construction in the B concourse that will provide better companion and pet restroom facilities as well.
The new cellphone lot opened this past month, including new restrooms and vending facilities. Display screens will be installed but have been delayed due to supply chain issues. A new paved remote parking facility is also due to be completed by October at Old Bradenton Road and University. This will have security fencing, lighting, and automated payment systems. Another remote economy lot is being constructed on U.S. 41 that will accommodate users during the heaviest holiday season and should be done by the Thanksgiving holiday period. This will afford users paved, lighted and secure facilities as well.
As the airport works its way through these projects and with the upcoming heavier travel season upon us, I ask that you plan on arriving about 90 to 120 minutes before your flight to ensure you have plenty of time should any delays arise. Please understand we are doing everything in our power to maintain the level of convenience and cleanliness our customers have come to expect and deserve. Nonetheless, renovation and expansion work can be messy, and sometimes stuff happens.
The planned ground-level passenger terminal at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport is no longer just a concept.
The 75,300-square-foot ground boarding facility, which will eventually have five gates, a four-lane security checkpoint, nursing rooms, a pet relief area and restrooms, now has a roof and a concrete floor, as well as underground utilities.
Also planned are 970 seats, 630 with power for phones and other electronic devices.
The new terminal rising from the construction site was a welcome sight for members of the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority, who met Monday afternoon.
"Steel is going up. It's coming along well," Rick Piccolo, the airport's president and chief executive officer, said of construction.
Piccolo is working under a December 2024 deadline to have the ground-level terminal completed, a tight schedule considering that a $70 million package of airport expansion projects did not officially begin until March.
A ticking timer on the 99-year lease between New College of Florida and the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport has left college board members grasping for answers as they seek land to expand, but a controversial land donation by Manatee County on Tuesday has given the college a lifeline.
There are about 33 years left on a lease signed between New College and the airport, but a need for student housing is putting pressure on the New College leadership, including the Gov. Ron DeSantis-appointed board and President Richard Corcoran to find long-term answers.
Part of the college sits on SRQ airport property, and rapid growth at the airport has pitted the college board against the growing land needs of one of the region's largest economic drivers, according to John Schussler, former Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority properties director.
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