Airport officials in Sarasota for the past seven years have heard one destination requested as a place passengers want to fly but cannot. That destination, Newark, will come within reach of SRQ Airport travelers in February when United Airlines starts non-stop flights from Sarasota to New Jersey.

“It’s the most requested route we’ve had from the public,” said Fredrick Piccolo, president and CEO of SRQ Airport. “Every time I give a speech people ask about it, and then they follow up with phone calls and emails.”

United announced on Monday that the airline will offer seasonal daily service starting Feb. 12 and running through May 15 in 2015. Tickets are available for purchase now. The flight provides a direct connection between SRQ Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). The New Jersey airport is critical in creating a flight network because it houses United's New York hub, from which the airline services a total of 142 domestic and international destinations. 

The SRQ-EWR flight will be on Boeing 737, which boasts 154 seats total (16 first-class, 48 economy-plus and 138 economy).

“This is exciting news for our customers in the Sarasota area and for thousands of potential new visitors to this vibrant Gulf Coast community,” said Michael Brooks, United’s sales manager for central and north Florida. “The Sarasota Bradenton International Airport and the community have provided strong support for our Chicago service and we look forward to a great partnership with these new flights to our New York/Newark gateway hub, from which we offer convenient connections to the Northeast, Canada and Europe.”

The addition of the service shows a building relationship between SRQ and United. The airline also runs nonstop service between Chicago O'Hare (ORD) and SRQ Airport, service that was restored in 2012 after several years when United offered no flights to SRQ. That also came after the airport was dealt the blow that AirTran would stop all of its flights to the Sarasota-Bradenton area.

“We are thrilled that United has decided to return Newark/New York service to our community," said Piccolo. “This commitment demonstrates that the Sarasota/Bradenton area is a strong market for our airline partners. The flights to the Newark Liberty hub will provide opportunities for connections to additional destinations, both domestically and internationally, and we look forward to exploring other opportunities for expansion in the future.”

It also bodes well for the future. Piccolo notes that United started its Chicago flight as a seasonal non-stop offering, then quickly decided to offer service year-round and run a second flight on the route during season. If the Newark flight sees heavy usage, Piccolo hopes United will do the same with that route.

“I see that as a much better way than for them to overfly the route and decide later they need a slow-down,” Piccolo said.

And of course the flight adds to the number of passenger flights in and out of the airport. Piccolo said that additional flights and new relationships have helped make up roughly 75 percent of the passenger traffic lost since AirTran ended its service to SRQ Airport in August 2012.