Airport passenger traffic down 95% in April

SARASOTA — Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, with impact of the coronavirus pandemic now in full view, saw passenger traffic decrease 94.7% in April, with 9,742 passengers traveling through SRQ. 

Year-to-date, airport passenger traffic is down 8.5% for the first quarter of 2020, with 621,192 passengers using the airport, according to a press release. 

Despite the effect COVID-19 had in April on the aviation sector and SRQ, the airport continues to prepare for a return to more normal times, officials say. Numerous operational and physical improvements have been made, including a doubling of janitorial staff, plexiglass shields at all customer service counters, numerous added hand sanitizer stations and social distancing markers in queuing lines.

“While we are still a very long way from recovery, the airport has seen a gradual increase in passenger traffic over the last week," says Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport President and CEO Rick Piccolo in a statement. "As more states open their economy, we are confident that the positive trend will continue. When the passengers are ready, we are ready.”