SRQ Airport: Now More Ninja Friendly

Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport unveiled a new ad starring a Sarasota resident performing parkour through the airport.

Sometimes you need more than the karate chop of the Priceline Negotiator to get through the airport and instead turn to ninja skills.  Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport shows just that in a new commercial.  The 70-second spot features Sarasota's own Sean Morris, 25, who competed on G4's American Ninja Warrior show, which is moving to NBC this year. Morris is known for his parkour skills, or basically, free running, where people jump and flip off of objects. Parkour is used often in military exercises for obstacle courses, so it's more than just for fun. Patch talked to Morris in 2010 when he and his friend Thomas Hall of Bradenton competed on American Ninja Warrior, and said "he acquired a bunch of random skills over the years from …

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VIDEO: Sarasota Orchestra Flash Mob at SRQ Airport

Musicians from Sarasota Orchestra disguised themselves as passengers, flight attendants and even a pilot and surprised airport visitors with an impromptu performance last month.

If you've seen one flash mob, you've seen them all, right? The impromptu music performances have been all the rage on the Internet for a few years now. But a recent flash mob at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport was a little different — it included an orchestra. Musicians from Sarasota Orchestra dressed as passengers and surprised SRQ visitors and employees Jan. 21, appearing spontaneously from all directions to form a musical ensemble. A video posted on YouTube shows Principle Pops Conductor Andrew Lane disguised as a pilot and two accompanying musicians dressed as Pan Am flight attendants. Thirty-two musicians in all performed Bizet’s "Danse Boheme," from Carmen Suite No. 2.  The flash mob was the brainchild of orchestra cellist …

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TIA and SRQ Flights Canceled as Blizzard Hits Northeast

Many flights coming into and leaving Tampa International Airport are canceled due to the storm.

Bradenton residents with big plans for weekend travel might want to check twice before hoping in the car to head to Tampa International Airport or Sarasota Bradenton International. A blizzard striking the northeast is to blame for a number of canceled departing flights today, Feb. 8. Many flights arriving from the northeast are also grounded, which means visitors might have a hard time making their way to the Tampa Bay area. The storm is anticipated to dump as much as 2 feet of snow in the area from New York City to Boston, according to The Tampa Tribune, and is causing a number of flight cancellations. To find out if your flight is delayed or canceled, just visit SRQ's homepage where flight information is listed at the top of the page. …

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SRQ Airport Unveils Renovated Check-In Area

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport has finished the first phase of its renovations for passenger check-ins.

Soon, the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport will have a completed new look for passengers getting tickets and checking their luggage. The airport today unveiled a new check-in area designed to enhance the passenger experience that airport officials plan to implement throughout the terminal.  “In two years the community will essentially have a new terminal and we are very excited to see this phase complete,” President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Piccolo saidd. The check in area improvements offer a brighter look with new terrazzo floors, ceiling and wall finishes plus LED and electronic ballast lighting. Airport officials say the new lighting systems are environmentally friendly. The remaining ticketing area is expected to be …

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World War II Planes To Stop At SRQ Airport

Non-profit Collings Foundation's annual tour of World War II bombers makes a stop for its Wings of Freedom Tour.

History buffs and plane enthusiasts of all ages will get a chance to marvel at and fly in World War II bombers Wednesday through Friday this week at the SRQ Airport. The Wings of Freedom tour stops at Rextrix Aviation at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport this week where folks can tour a B-17 Flying Fortress, B-34 Liberator or the dual control P-51C Mustang. Walkthrough tours cost $12 for adults; $6 for children 12 and under. Hours are 2 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon on Friday. The tour will also stop at the Venice Municipal Airport's Sun Coast Air Center Friday 2 to 4 p.m. and then 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this …

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Pilot Dead After Plane Crashes At New College Of Florida

Pilot of an amphibian plane died when the plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

SARASOTA—The pilot of an amphibian airplane has died and the passenger of a plane is being treated for injuries after the plane crashed at New College of Florida Saturday afternoon, according to authorities. The pilot and passenger—both men—have not been identified, and the National Transporation Safety Board is investigating with the Federal Aviation Administration, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office. The plane was a Seawind 3000 that took off from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport after 3 p.m. and caught on fire when in crashed by New College's R.V. Heiser Natural Sciences Complex, SRQ Airport CEO Rick Piccolo told The Bradenton Herald. The plane crashed at 3:31 p.m. on the campus and did not injure any bystanders, …

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A final SRQ departure for AirTran

Bob Walters' son booked the reservation two months ago for his dad to fly on AirTran Airways from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport to Atlanta.

Delta To Offer Spring Training Flights At SRQ Airport

Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates fans will have a way to fly direct between Spring Training in Bradenton and Sarasota and the Major League cities.

Spring Training fans looking to come to Sarasota and Bradenton to see the Pirates and Orioles can get direct flights to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport through Delta Air Lines come next year. The airport, often called SRQ Airport, announced Wednesday that Delta will adjust its schedule to provide direct flights to Pittsburgh International Airport and  Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in time for Spring Training, in the first half of 2013. Direct flights means that while passengers will layover in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the delay will be 40 minutes and you will not have to change planes, according to SRQ. Tickets for these flights go on sale Aug. 4. "This is another …

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SRQ Airport Police Officer Dead; Likely Suicide

Lt. George Osborn, the second-in-command of the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport Police Department, apparently committed suicide at his Englewood home last night.

SRQ Airport Wants Passengers To Pledge To Use Airport

SRQ Airport is launching a "Do You SRQ?" campaign for travelers to fly out of the airport when they can as the airport is also exploring to expand service and destinations.

Knowing that AirTran is set to end service in August, SRQ Airport officials are launching a campaign to keep passengers flying out of SRQ instead of Tampa or Ft. Myers. "It's not a lack of passengers going on aircraft that has hurt this community," said Rick Piccolo, president and chief executive of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. "It really is a level of competition. It's also the level of support of people willing to go to other airports." Piccolo announced a $130,000 campaign called "Do You SRQ?" where the airport hopes to have businesses and individuals pledge that they will check flight options first from SRQ when planning business travel. The program touts that the airport contributes nearly $1 billion to the annual …

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Kathryn Baker

12:49 pm on Sunday, September 16, 2012

I use SRQ almost every time I fly.....I hate driving to Tampa and I prefer our smaller airport, less craziness. However, there are not always flights available that people need.   more ›