The popular airplane spotting area at Sarasota Bredenton International Airport has launched a new look with a shady observation deck.
The $2.3 million project, announced in March 2024, was built along a dirt area near the airport. The project, which debuted this week, was a joint venture between landowners Manatee County and Sarasota Manatee Airports Office.
The 825-square-foot SRQ observation deck also features a speaker system for airplane watchers, allowing you to listen to air traffic communications.
The paved parking lot has 27 spaces and an aviation-themed playground sponsored by Allegiant Air.
“We looked there and saw all the people behind the fence watching the plane and wondered how we could bolster it and make it a better experience,” airport president and CEO Rick Piccolo told the Herald previously.
The county and the Airports Department began planning the project in 2021. The area has long been a favorite place for plane watchers to park their cars and trucks. But before improvements, the space was grass and dirt next to the airport fence line.
Airport leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday to unveil the new observation deck.
