Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) repeated a nearly fourfold increase in passenger traffic last month—from 9,742 passengers in April to 39,988 passengers in May. However, compared to May of 2019, traffic at SRQ is down 75 percent, and  year-to-date figures show that airport passenger traffic is down 21 percent, largely due to the spread of COVID-19.

However, the airport reports that the airlines that serve the airport are beginning to add flights to summer schedule as airports, airlines, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) implement strict cleaning and safety measures to protect passengers while traveling. Some of those measures include increased janitorial staff, plexiglass shields at all customer-service counters, hand sanitizer stations and social distancing markers in queuing lines.  Employees, tenants, and passengers are also required to wear protective face coverings.

Delta will bring back a third daily flight to Atlanta on June 11 and a fourth daily flight on July 2.  American Airlines will add additional flights to Charlotte and bring back service in early July to Philadelphia, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and New York-LaGuardia.  Frontier Airlines will add service to Cleveland and Philadelphia on June 6 and Cincinnati and Chicago on July 4.  Allegiant is currently providing a minimum of twice-weekly service to Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, St. Louis, Grand Rapids, Knoxville, Richmond, Asheville, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Harrisburg and Columbus.  Flights to Syracuse are scheduled to return on June 24.