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Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by CFIF (talk | contribs) at 17:47, 13 September 2009 (Main Terminal (B Gates): fixing per: http://srq-airport.com/destinations.aspx). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport
Aerial photo as of 31 Dec 1998
FAA Airport Diagram
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerSarasota Manatee Airport Authority
ServesSarasota / Bradenton, Florida
Elevation AMSL30 ft / 9 m
Coordinates27°23′44″N 082°33′16″W / 27.39556°N 82.55444°W / 27.39556; -82.55444
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
4/22 5,009 1,527 Asphalt
14/32 9,500 2,896 Asphalt
Statistics (2006)
Aircraft operations163,870
Based aircraft266

Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (IATA: SRQ, ICAO: KSRQ, FAA LID: SRQ) is an airport located in Sarasota, Florida and just south of Bradenton, Florida. The airport is shared by both Manatee County (airfield) and Sarasota County (terminal). Most airlines refer to the airport on destination maps and flight status displays as just "Sarasota", as that is the larger and more widely known city. The airport is usually referred to locally as "SRQ" (the airport code). A large portion of the airport's commercial airline service occurs during the winter and spring months, as the area is a popular tourist destination and seasonal home for snowbirds during the winter and spring months.

Recent history

Air Force One was at the airport on September 11, 2001. George W. Bush was at the Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota when Andrew Card first informed him of the September 11, 2001 attacks at 9:05 AM. Bush returned to the airport. It taxied at 9:54 AM and lifted off at 9:55 AM flying first to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.[2]

Like many small American airports, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport experienced financial woes in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Additionally, two airlines servicing SRQ, Canada 3000 and Canadian Airlines, ceased operations, the first bankrupt and the second acquired by Air Canada.

However, in 2003, AirTran Airways began service as the result of a nationwide marketing poll sponsored by the airline. The poll's results indicated that Sarasota-Bradenton was one of several smaller airports that AirTran's customers would prefer the airline service. Consequently, AirTran added service to Atlanta-Hartsfield/Jackson, and Baltimore-Washington International, and as of 2005 the airline serves five U.S. destinations with non-stop flights from SRQ.

Financial concerns were faced again in September 2005, when Delta Air Lines, the carrier with the largest market share out of SRQ [1], filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. While initially there was great concern regarding Delta's bankruptcy filing's effect on the financial stability of the airport, especially if Delta were to have reduced local operations, in fact Delta has since announced new service out of SRQ, which included expanded service to Atlanta, and new service to New York's LaGuardia Airport, and Boston's Logan International Airport. All of that service was cut back or discontinued, but new winter/spring seasonal service to Boston and LaGuardia was recently announced by Delta.

Facilities and aircraft

Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport covers an area of 1,102 acres (446 ha) which contains two asphalt paved runways: 14/32 measuring 9,500 x 150 ft (2,896 x 46 m) and 4/22 measuring 5,009 x 150 ft (1,527 x 46 m).[1]

For the 12-month period ending October 31, 2006, the airport had 163,870 aircraft operations, an average of 448 per day: 82% general aviation, 9% scheduled commercial, 7% air taxi, 2% military. At that time there were 266 aircraft based at this airport: 71% single-engine, 17% multi-engine, 9% jet and 3% helicopter.[1]

Airlines and destinations

Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport has a main terminal with gates B1-B14:

Main Terminal (B Gates)

AirlinesDestinations
Air Canada Toronto-Pearson [seasonal]
AirTran Airways Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston [seasonal, Saturday only], Chicago-Midway, Detroit [seasonal], Indianapolis [seasonal]
Delta Air Lines Atlanta
Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines Atlanta
Delta Connection operated by Comair Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines Memphis [seasonal]
JetBlue Airways New York-JFK
Northwest Airlines Detroit [seasonal]
US Airways Express operated by Air Wisconsin Washington-Reagan
US Airways Express operated by Mesa Airlines Charlotte
US Airways Express operated by PSA Airlines Charlotte

World War II

During World War II the airfield was used by the United States Army Air Force Third Air Force for antisubmarine patrols and training.

See also

References