The Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport has secured a $2.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to finance terminal and runway improvements.
The number of carry-on security checkpoints will expand by one-third as a result of the grant, said airport Executive Director Fred Piccolo.
"We want to avoid having any long lines. That's one of the reasons people are using our airport - convenience," Piccolo said.
U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, R-Sarasota, announced the funding on Friday. Her spokesman said the congresswoman saw the need for the airport to accommodate more travelers.
"When you have an older population, such as the district does, it's just not as easy to jump into a car and drive 50 to 60 miles to an airport," Garrison Courtney said of local residents who might consider driving to Tampa International Airport. "Having options available is always important."
Other airport improvements include upgrades to the drainage system, rehabilitating runways and constructing a new taxiway in the airfield.
"Things like the taxiway are less glitzy and glamorous," Piccolo said. "The day-to-day users don't see the value in it. But the new taxiway allows us more air traffic and over the long term, provides us with more revenues."
It's all about making constant improvements to the airport to stay out of the shadows of larger rivals.
"It allows us to stay financially strong and offer services to the aviation community that they demand," Piccolo said of the grant money. "It translates to economic prosperity."
Some of the projects got started in the spring. Most will be complete by fall, Piccolo said.
The grant reinforced that transportation officials recognize the airport as important to the local economy, he said.
Much of the money will go toward expansion of the terminal and security queuing checkpoint - a project that will expand the waiting lanes by 33 percent and shorten the wait for airport travelers.
