Photo courtesy Wilmington Airport.

Growth at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport means one more way to get from here to Philadelphia.

Avelo Airlines added a third nonstop route to and from SRQ Airport. Starting on Nov. 2, the airline will go to Wilmington Airport (ILG) on Thursdays and Sundays. One-way flights, on a Boeing Next-Generation 737 with 189 seats, will start at $49. 

“We are pleased that Avelo Airlines has added a third nonstop destination to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport,” said SRQ Airport CEO Rick Piccolo. “This new nonstop destination provides passengers a way to avoid big city congestion and fly from one convenient airport to another.”

It’s also just the latest sign of the massive growth in traffic at the airport, which more than tripled over three years. The airport in 2022 saw nearly 4 million passenger flights and expects a half million more this year. Through the end of May, the airport already saw nearly 2.1 million total enplanements and deplanements.

Right now, Avelo is the only airline flying nonstop from SRQ to ILG. The airline’s network now flies to destinations in 25 states and Puerto Rico. Executives expect enthusiasm for the new Sarasota-Bradenton route.

“SRQ – say hello to Philly!” said Avelo chairman and CEO Andrew Levy. “Getting to Philadelphia and the greater Delaware Valley is easier and more affordable than ever with Avelo’s exclusive nonstop service to Wilmington Airport – the region’s most travel-friendly airport. Combined with Avelo’s industry-leading reliability, there isn’t a more convenient, faster and more relaxing gateway to The City of Brotherly Love from Florida’s Gulf Coast.”

ILG, meanwhile, exclusively houses Avelo flights. The airport serves as an alternative stop for visitors both to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and to much of Delaware, the state where flights will land. It also has established flights to San Juan in Puerto Rico, Raleigh-Durham in North Carolina and Charleston, Greenville-Spartanburg, Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head, South Carolina in South Carolina. Flights just started in June between ILG and Nashville, Tennessee and Savannah Georgia.

Photo courtesy Wilmington Airport.