Inaugural flight brings in over 90 passengers to Sarasota

Breeze Airways, which debuted at SRQ earlier this year, celebrated the new flight from New York with a Champagne christening and water cannon salute.

By Amanda Postma
| 6:20 p.m. November 2, 2022
| 2 Free Articles Remaining!

Breeze Airways inaugural flight from White Plains, New York, was greeted with a water cannon salute Wednesday afternoon. (Photo by Amanda Postma)

Manatee-Sarasota

Champagne was tossed in the air Wednesday at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport as it celebrated yet another Breeze Airway inaugural flight.

The flight through Breeze Airways, which has been only operating flight services since May 2021, brought in more than 90 passengers from White Plains, New York. It was celebrated with a water cannon salute and a Champagne christening.

“It’s absolute joy every time we open up a new destination and get happy guests coming off the flight,” says Brian McCormick, the director of airport operations. A first-time Breeze passenger even told McCormick “he can’t wait to fly with us again. He was just impressed.”

Champagne went flying at SRQ on Wednesday afternoon in celebration of the Breeze Airways inaugural flight from White Plains, New York. (Photo by Amanda Postma).

Breeze began taking off from SRQ, the airport’s call letters, in June with flight service to Hartford, Connecticut. By August, it had announced an expansion with this newest flight to White Plains, which is in Westchester County.

The flight was scheduled to head back to Westchester County about 30 minutes after the inaugural flight touched down.

SRQ is currently served by 11 airlines with service to 53 nonstop destinations. The airport, which is about three times the size it was in 2018, is currently in the midst of a $72 million project to keep up with the growing number of passengers. It’s expected to provide enough stretch to support nearly five million passengers annually with a new ground-based boarding facility and five new gates. Breeze Airways snuck in just in time.

“We feel that we got in at the right time,” McCormick says. “This airport and community has been very supportive of us. So we’re excited to be here and grow.”