INDICATORS: After wild, exciting year at Sarasota Bradenton Airport, more growth expected
Since the last airport column looked back at all the happenings in 2021, it now seems fitting to look forward by providing some of the upcoming certainties and wishes for 2022 at SRQ.
The airport’s air service growth has been nothing short of phenomenal, and 2022 should continue the upward trend – but at a bit of a slower pace. SRQ has a new airline, Avelo, starting in January with nonstop service to New Haven, Connecticut, and Allegiant will be adding their 29th nonstop destination in March to Appleton, Wisconsin. The computer reservation systems for the first three months of 2022 have 52% more seats loaded for SRQ than in its record-breaking year of 2021. The airport continues to seek added service to new destinations, and your continued patronage helps tremendously in our efforts.
The general aviation business is also growing at a rapid pace. Several new private aviation initiatives should start this new year. A third Fixed Base Operator proposal will be considered by the SRQ Board in January. This would involve a major financial investment by a private company and an expansion of services and amenities to our General Aviation community.
In addition, efforts continue to expand aviation educational facilities at the airport. The Team Success charter school, which will eventually cover K-12 grades with an emphasis on aviation career exposure, is under construction and due to open in the fall on airport property. The Manatee and Sarasota School Systems have partnered with USF-Sarasota Manatee to establish both an Airframe & Powerplant School and aviation management program on the airport. The Florida Legislature will be taking up their funding request this session and, if approved, the school construction could start quickly. In two years, high school graduates would have a whole new educational opportunity locally that would provide a worldwide career path.
Several capital improvements should also break ground. The five-gate ground based terminal addition and new ground transportation facility are already in design, and construction should get underway by fall. These major projects will cause some disruption at the airport, but the airport will do its best to minimize any inconvenience. An added food concession in the concourse should be open this spring, and additional remote parking will also be under construction. New wayfinding signage will be erected to help all our new residents find their way.
In 2022 there, are a number of things that will, hopefully, come to fruition. First and foremost, that COVID is put behind us and people can travel without masks or trepidation. This March, when the present mask mandate is due to expire, will mark the two-year anniversary of when this terrible experience began. While airline travel has always been an anxious experience, we hope people will calm down and exercise patience and good judgment. Some of this pent-up frustration is due to the pandemic, and mask rules, etc., but police and traffic people have had to endure not only discourteous and abusive verbal attacks while trying to keep people safe, but there have been assaults on airport officers, resulting in arrests and some minor injuries. In my 25 years tenure, these types of incidents happened, maybe, once in a decade. Unfortunately, today it is happening on a more frequent basis.
It has been a wild and exciting year at the airport, and this new year will be dedicated to trying to catch up on some of the needs created by such unprecedented growth. On behalf of the board, airport staff, and all tenants, SRQ hopes 2022 brings health, happiness, and a return to normalcy to its users and communities. Thank you for your tremendous support. Everyone at the airport promises to continue to do their best to make your journey safe, enjoyable, and stress free.
Rick Piccolo has been president and chief executive officer of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport since 1995 and serves on various international aviation, business and charitable boards. He can be contacted at Fredrick.piccolo@srq-airport.com.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: RICK PICCOLO: More growth expected at Sarasota Bradenton Airport
