2021 passenger count exceeds 2019 record by 57%
In December 2021, 347,268 passengers traveled through the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), the highest monthly total in the airport’s history, SRQ President and CEO Rick Piccolo has announced.
In December 2020, the passenger total was 119,114 an SRQ news release noted. Thus, the December 2021 figure marks a month-over-month increase of 191.5%, the release added.
Altogether, the number of passengers who traveled through the airport in the 2021 calendar year was 3,163,543, the release reported. That was up 155.7% over the 2020 count, and it represented a 57% increase over the 2019 calendar year’s record of 2,010,304 passengers, the release pointed out.
“For 2022, the trend of record growth is expected to continue,” the release noted. For the first four months of this year, approximately 2 million airline seats are available for purchase, it said, which marked a 42% increase over the 2021 figure.
This week, the release also pointed out, the airport welcomed a new airline, Avelo, which offers nonstop service to New Haven, Conn. In March, Allegiant will begin new nonstop service to Akron-Canton, Ohio, and Appleton, Wis., the release noted.
With the addition of Avelo and these new routes, SRQ has 11 airlines serving 53 nonstop destinations, the release said.
“Multiple projects were completed last year to accommodate the airport’s rapid growth,” the release continued: a major expansion of the screening checkpoint area; the addition of three new 100,000-gallon, jet-fuel storage tanks; the expansion of the long-term parking lot; and the addition of remote parking lots.
This year, plans call for construction to begin on a new ground transportation facility and a new ground-level terminal, which will provide at least five additional gates for aircraft arrivals and departures, the release pointed out.
Further, improvements and expansion of concessions are planned.
“It is exciting to see the record-breaking numbers and the projected growth for 2022,” Piccolo said in the release. “As the airport and community continue to grow, we are committed to providing the infrastructure, amenities, and superior level of service our customers deserve,” he added.