Airport scores big win with new nonstop route

SARASOTA — Elite Airways announced nonstop jet service between Pittsburgh International Airport and Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

Bradenton is the site of minor league and spring training activities for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It will host its season-opening home game on Feb. 24. Starting Feb. 23, Elite Airways will operate twice-weekly nonstop flights on Fridays and Mondays.

“We are very pleased with Elite Airways' continued success and expansion at SRQ with this announcement of their third nonstop destination,” says Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport President and CEO Rick Piccolo in a statement. “The addition of Pittsburgh is particularly timely given the strong connection between our cities and the upcoming spring training season for the Pittsburgh Pirates starting just one day after the first flight.”

Elite Airways, in addition to Pittsburgh, flies from SRQ to White Plains, N.Y. and Portland, Maine, which is also its headquarters. The airline, founded in 2006, has a maintenance operations center is in Melbourne.