American Airlines will increase service starting in December

Nonstop flights by American Airlines at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport to Philadelphia International Airport will go from weekends only to daily starting on Dec. 18, the airport announced on Thursday.

The flights on Embraer 175 aircraft seat roughly 80 passengers.

The nonstop Philadelphia service launched on Jan. 12 and was one of three new destinations offered this past season by American. The others were Dallas-Fort Worth and Chicago. Those new destinations complement existing daily service to Charlotte, North Carolina, and Washington D.C.

“We are excited to see American Airlines continue to increase service at SRQ," Rick Piccolo, SRQ president and CEO, said in a statement. "For the first four months of this year, passenger traffic on American Airlines increased from 81,262 passenger to 128,505 passengers, a 58% increase over the first fpir months of 2018. With more destination choices, added frequency of flights, and larger aircraft being utilized ... we have seen American Airlines grow substantially at SRQ over the past year.

"We look forward to seeing continued growth as both the local community and visitors benefit from the increase in service.”