Sarasota Airport Saw Record-Breaking Passenger Traffic Last Year

SARASOTA-BRADENTON, FL — Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport saw record-breaking passenger traffic last year with more than 4.3 million travelers using the airport, according to a news release.

This was a 12 percent increase in travelers over 2022, which saw more than 3.64 million passengers that year.

The airport ended the year strong. In December, more than 406,000 people traveled through the airport, a 7.5 percent increase compared to nearly 378,000 passengers in December 2022, the news release said.

“The record-breaking growth we have seen over the past five years has been phenomenal. For 2023 we recorded over 4.3 million passengers, a 215 percent increase over 2018 and 3 million more passengers than the 1.3 million passengers we had just five years ago,” Rick Piccolo, CEO, said. “The number of airlines and routes served at SRQ has also continued to grow over the last five years, expanding from six airlines to 11, and 12 nonstop destinations to 53.”

The airport’s rapid growth “has presented various challenges for management,” Piccolo added. In response, the airport has embarked on several construction projects to meet its growing needs.

This includes an expansion of the jet fuel storage facility — which tripled in size — a 33 percent enlargement of the screening checkpoint and the creation of additional parking lots.

Ongoing projects at the airport include the construction of a new concourse with five additional aircraft gates, an expansion ground transportation area, and new food and beverage concessions.

“For 2024, we anticipate continued growth as future airline schedules reveal increased seats inbound and outbound at SRQ,” Piccolo said. “By December, we expect construction to be complete on the new (five)-gate terminal which is scheduled to open to the public in January 2025. The new (five)-gate terminal will not only alleviate congestion in Concourse B, but also allow the airlines serving SRQ to expand their flight offerings and introduce new destinations.”