Passenger Traffic Record Set for September at Southwest Florida Int'l Airport
FORT MYERS, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 2, 2005--More than 368,000 passengers traveled through Southwest Florida International Airport during September, making it the busiest September in the airport's 22-year history. Traffic increased more than 15 percent compared to September 2004 and helped boost the year-to-date increase to 13.6 percent. The airport accommodated more than 5.7 million passengers during the first nine months of 2005.
Nationwide, traffic was up by 4.2 percent during September and 3.6 percent year to date.
"September strongly continued a 34-month trend of record-setting passenger increases," said Robert M. Ball, A.A.E., executive director of the Lee County Port Authority. "2005 has made history for the opening of the new terminal. It almost certainly also will be the airport's first 7 million-passenger year."
September was the least busy month of 2005 for passengers, but it ranked behind only March for cargo volume. More than 3.1 million pounds of air cargo moved through the airport during September, an increase of 14.5 percent for the month. Year to date, air cargo volume totals more than 27 million pounds, up 12.7 percent over the first nine months of 2004.
Airport operations moved to a new $438 million terminal complex, south of the airport's runway, on Sept. 9. The airport opened in May 1983, reached its capacity seven years earlier than predicted, and served more than 6.7 million passengers during 2004. The new terminal has the capacity for 10 million passengers annually.
Southwest Florida International Airport is located on Florida's southwest coast and serves the holiday destinations of Sanibel and Captiva Islands, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Naples, Punta Gorda and Marco Island.
To learn more, log onto www.flylcpa.com.
CONTACT: Southwest Florida International Airport Laska L. Ryan, 239-590-4504 [email protected] KEYWORD: FLORIDAINDUSTRY KEYWORD: TRAVEL AIRLINES TRANSPORTATIONSOURCE: Southwest Florida International Airport
<>
News stories provided by third parties are not edited by "Site Publication" staff. For suggestions and comments, please click the Contact link at the bottom of this page.