Sarasota-Bradenton airport lands new flights

Citing a strong demand for flights from Maine to Florida, Elite Airways announced a new route to serve Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport and Portland International Jetport.

The service begins Nov. 17. Flights will arrive at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, under the call letters SRQ, at 2:45 p.m. and depart at 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, according to a news release. The flight to Portland takes roughly three hours.

“We look forward to welcoming our guests from Portland and surrounding areas to our state-of-the-art airport, and are excited to share our beautiful beaches, great shopping opportunities and diverse arts and culture with them,” SRQ Airport CEO Rick Piccolo says in the release. “This route opens up new markets and new travel opportunities for our community as well.”

The airline is currently offering $199 one-way tickets at EliteAirways.com. Elite Airways operates a fleet of Bombardier CRJ-200 and CRJ-700 jet airliners.

“Florida remains our number one requested destination and the new Elite Airways service to Sarasota will provide convenient nonstop access to the Gulf Coast,” Portland Jetport Director Paul Bradbury says in the release.

Portland-based Elite Air was founded in 2006. Routes include Naples to the New York City area via Newark, N.J. and Naples to Portland.