Sarasota Bradenton International Airport's brand-new Terminal A is officially open.

The $72 million concourse includes five additional gates, expanded seating areas and amenities, and new food vendors, including Anna Maria Oyster Bar, the popular local seafood chain, and Patrick's 1481, a downtown Sarasota staple for nearly 40 years.

Concourse A was paid for using grants, the airport's own money, and state and federal funding, including from the Biden Administration's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), which accounts for $23 million over the course of five years. It's all part of a long-term, $200 million master plan to continue to expand SRQ's offerings in the wake of explosive passenger growth since the start of the pandemic. 

In celebration of the terminal's opening and the airline's long-standing relationship with Visit Sarasota and the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Allegiant Airlines recently unveiled a custom plane featuring imagery of manatees and sea turtles, with the Visit Sarasota logo on one side and the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau logo on the other. Known as a livery, this plane is one of only seven Allegiant aircraft with a special design on it.

Other new features in Concourse A include 18 flight information displays and four flight explorer screens, an atrium with a 30-foot ceiling and 28-foot-high glass wall. Eleven airlines now serve SRQ, flying to 68 nonstop destinations all over the U.S. and Canada. Future plans for the airport include even more food and retail options, parking improvements, an upgraded baggage system and expanded ground transportation infrastructure, according to officials. 

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