SRQ wins safety award

Sarasota air travelers can breath a little easier about air travel from their area airport.

The FAA presented Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) with a national award for safety yesterday, recognizing the success of multiple initiatives to make the airfield a safer place to fly.

According to the FAA, the Airfield Safety Mark of Distinction Award is given to airports “that display exemplary effort or initiative in the name of airport safety.”

SRQ was recognized for multiple airfield improvements including additional supplemental wind cones, new LED taxiway lighting, signage, and runway guard lights. Other improvements include the removal of a structure in the runway protection zone, and implementation of safety meetings and computerized training programs.

“We’re very pleased,” airport President, CEO Fredrick Piccolo said. “We’ve put a lot of time and money into the airfield. It’s good for people to know that SRQ is a very safe place to fly — it increases the confidence of air travelers.”

Five major airlines operate at SRQ, serving more than 1.2 million passengers per year with more than 100,000 annual aircraft operations.

Contact Nolan Peterson at [email protected]