Passenger traffic increases 32% in June, remains down for year

SARASOTA — Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport passenger traffic increased 32% in June compared to the previous month, and, despite the ongoing effects of COVID-19, passenger traffic has started to rebound. 

"This past Saturday we had 44 commercial service flights operate from SRQ and new destinations continue to be added each week," says Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport President and CEO Rick Piccolo in a statement. "Over the past few months, we have worked with our tenants and the TSA to implement multiple layers of safety measures to protect passengers. We understand the concerns the public may have when flying and realize it is critical to ensure the airport is a safe and clean environment for travelers."  

Under the call letters SRQ, the airport had 39,988 passengers in May and 52,845 passengers in June, according to the press release. Compared to June 2019, traffic at SRQ remains down, 64% year-over-year. And year-to-date figures show airport passenger traffic is down 28%.

According to the release, airports, airlines and the Transportation Security Administration have implemented strict cleaning and safety measures to protect passengers while traveling. Some of the safety measures implemented at SRQ include increased janitorial staff, plastic shields at all customer service counters, hand sanitizer stations and social distancing markers in queuing lines. Employees, tenants and passengers wear protective face coverings to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.