Fort Myers airport news: RSW's passenger doldrums receive boost in September, a year after Ian

Mark H. Bickel, Fort Myers News-Press
·2 min read

For the first time since March 2022, Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) recorded a year-over-year increase in total passengers coming to and going from the Fort Myers airport.

According to a Lee County Port Authority press release, during September, 560,358 passengers traveled through RSW. This was an increase of 9% compared to September 2022. It was also a record for passengers for the month of September at RSW.

A Southwest Airlines plane taxis on the runway at RSW (Southwest Florida International Airport).
A Southwest Airlines plane taxis on the runway at RSW (Southwest Florida International Airport).

“We are extremely pleased to share that Southwest Florida International Airport set a new passenger record for the month of September,” said Ben Siegel, CPA, C.M., executive director of the Lee County Port Authority. “We are thankful for all the hard work that has gone into rebuilding our communities and helping our region remain one of the most desirable vacation destinations in the world. Our airlines, concessions, government agencies and many other business partners are committed to making RSW the air transportation gateway for Southwest Florida and we look forward to having 16 airlines with service to 63 nonstop destinations during the winter season.”

Appropriately, the 16-month streak of lower year-over-year passenger numbers came in September, one year after Hurricane Ian, which had been a major factor in extending the streak. Ian slammed Southwest Florida on September 28, 2022.

The last time RSW had a year-over-year increase in passengers was March of 2022 and it was a single-month record −1,514,046. In 2022, the most passengers ever passed through RSW when the airport served a record-breaking 10.3 million passengers.

Year-to-date, passenger traffic is down 12 percent.

More: Holiday travel on the horizon. Some Florida airports might be better options than others

With season getting underway, the recovery from Ian continuing, and airlines adding more routes to and from RSW for the winter, it could be the start of a new streak for the airport and one more positive sign that things are improving in Southwest Florida.

Commercial area scoreboard for September

  • Delta 138,742 passengers

  • Southwest (104,075)

  • American (86,950)

  • United (74,892)

  • JetBlue (55,364).

More September stats

  • Southwest Florida International Airport had 5,294 aircraft operations, an increase of 14 percent compared to September 2022.

  • Page Field saw 15,835 operations, which was a 23 percent increase compared to September 2022.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Fort Myers airport RSW records positive passenger growth in September