SRQ Sets Annual Passenger Record with Four Months Left in the Year

Sep. 14—MANATEE — More passengers traveled through Sarasota Bradenton International Airport in the first eight months of 2021 than in any full calendar year in the history of the airport.

The 2,034,538 passengers so far this year broke the all-time calendar yearly record of 2,010,304 set in 1990.

"It is amazing to see us break our annual passenger record only eight months into the calendar year. While this incredible growth has resulted in added revenues that resulted in a continued decrease in costs for our airline partners, it has created the need for a number of significant capital improvements that the airport is moving on as quickly as possible," said Rick Piccolo, president and CEO of the airport.

In August, passenger traffic at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport totaled 247,900. Compared with August 2020, passenger traffic was 327% higher than the 58,115 passengers in a month severely impacted by COVID-19.

And it was 83% higher than the pre-COVID-19 level of 135,467 set in August 2019.

"As one of only a few debt-free airports in the U.S., the increased revenue collected will allow us to continue lowering our rates and charges for the airlines serving our airport. In our proposed fiscal 2022 budget that will go to our board this month, the average cost per enplaned passenger, a measurement used by airlines to determine the cost to operate at an airport, will drop by 53%," Piccolo said.

"Providing lower operating costs for the airlines that serve our airport will not only make us more competitive but encourages both existing and new carriers to expand air service at SRQ. From our ongoing discussion with airlines, we are confident that SRQ will continue to grow and add additional service over the next year," Piccolo said.

The Sarasota Bradenton International Airport has no taxing power and operates solely on the revenue generated by its tenants and provides an annual economic impact of over $1.3 billion to the community. SRQ currently has 10 airlines providing nonstop service to 50 destinations.

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