There was no big crowd and no lengthy speeches at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport on Friday morning. Just a pause. At 8:46 a.m., SRQ held a moment of silence, marking twenty-five years since the first plane struck the North Tower. Minutes later, at 9:03, the time the second plane hit the South Tower, fire trucks sent a patriotic water cannon salute across the airfield.
Members of the SRQ Fire and Police Departments participated, along with Fire Chief Jason Hackley, Police Chief Joseph Centanni, and airport President and CEO Paul Hoback. He said September 11 is deeply personal for SRQ because of the role the airport and our community played that morning. Hoback added that he hopes we keep carrying forward the unity, compassion, and care for one another the nation showed in the days that followed.
For longtime Suncoast residents, the anniversary carries its own weight. This region knows hurricane season and red tide, but 9/11 is a different kind of memory, one tied to a morning when small airports like ours became part of a national story. If you were traveling out of SRQ today, or just drove past, the tribute was there for you too. What do you remember about September 11, 2001 on the Suncoast? Share your story in the comments.
