Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) is currently ranked the second fastest growing airport in the country and is expected to double the passenger load by 2020.
Airlines
In previous years SRQ had focused on only keeping the airlines it already had such as Delta, Jet Blue, and United. The airport CEO and president, Rick Piccolo has not only retained the airlines but also, added cost efficient carriers such as, Alligent and Frontier. The new additions have increased passenger traffic tremendously.
Expansion
Not too long ago the airport only had 10 destinations while serving about 1.1 million passengers. In its’ recent years SRQ now offers almost 40 destinations and serves 1.9 million passengers. Over the last year passenger traffic has increased by about 40% each month. Sarasota Bradenton International Airport is planning on even more growth in the coming years.
Growth and Development
With the rise in passengers the airport will need to increase staffing for traffic, facilities, and communications. In 2020 SRQ plans to improve the baggage handling system and the security checkpoint layout. SRQ will spend $2 million in 2020 for a parking expansion. Plenty of work remains to meet the challenges of the inevitable growth, but SRQ President, Rick Piccolo, seems eager to tackle the challenges brought with the recent growth spurt.
