Airport scores new nonstop route

Elite Airways announced new nonstop jet service between Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport and Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City, Mich., in northern Michigan.

With service starting March 16, flights will depart every Saturday from Sarasota-Bradenton (SRQ) at 8:30am ET, arriving in Traverse City (TVC) at 11:30am and depart TVC at 12:30pm, returning to SRQ at 3:30pm, according to a statement. Elite Airways operates a fleet of Bombardier CRJ-200 and CRJ-700 jet airliners, the release adds.

“Elite Airways is pleased to begin nonstop jet service between Traverse City and Sarasota-Bradenton next month, which will be ideal for vacationers traveling in either direction,” Elite Airways President John Pearsall says in the release. “Our hope is to expand to twice-weekly service this summer as demand for vacation travel increases. We believe there’s good synergy between these two popular vacation destinations, and wish to thank airport officials in Traverse City and Sarasota-Bradenton for their support.”

Traverse City, the release states, is hailed as a “four-season” playground for anyone who loves the outdoors, with activities that include hiking, skiing, golfing, sailing, sightseeing, and exploring 180 miles of beaches and shoreline along Lake Michigan — including the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. As the country’s largest grower of cherries, its annual National Cherry Festival attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every summer, the release adds.  

Elite Airways also offers nonstop service from SRQ to White Plains, N.Y. and Portland, Maine, which is also its headquarters. The airline was founded in 2006.