A new name, a new identity, a world to serve

Southwest Florida Regional Airport will receive a special birthday present this year--a new name reflecting its emerging international status. The new name, Southwest Florida International Airport, becomes official on May 14, 1993, the date that marks its first ten years of operation.

While the airport has served international -- passengers primarily those traveling on Canadian charters -- since 1984, the Lee County Port Authority has launched an expansion program that will allow the airport to accommodate direct and nonstop transcontinental as well as transatlantic international flights.

In November of 1992, construction began on a 55,000-square foot terminal addition which will house a new Federal Inspection Station and additional passenger ticketing and waiting areas. Not only will the facility increase the number of passengers to be handled by customs from 150 to 400 per hour, it also will allow the dual use of existing gates for both international and domestic flights. Construction activity is proceeding full-tilt and the structure already has began to take shape.

The expansion design blends with the existing terminal while adding approximately 260 feet to its west end. Limited remodeling of the second floor departure area and some roadway work are included in the project which has an estimated cost of $6 million.

The Lee County Port Authority is acting as its own construction manager for the project. Other members of the construction team include Burns & McDonnell of Miami providing architectural and engineering services and Holder Construction Company of Atlanta as general contractor.

A second project important to the international effort is scheduled to begin with summer. Work will begin to extend the airport's runway from 8,400 feet to 12,000 feet. The additional length will allow the airport to increase the flying range of widebody passenger aircraft to include transatlantic flights. The design/engineering facet of the project was undertaken by CH2M Hill of Fort Myers. Federal Construction Company of St. Petersburg serves as the construction manager and the Dayco-Astaldi Construction Corporation of Florida, based in Miami, is the general contractor. This $20 million project is scheduled for completion in the fall of 1994.

The new customs facilities and the runway extension will prepare Southwest Florida for entry into other international passenger and cargo markets, initially through charter flights. Traditionally, charter flights are the first step toward scheduled service.

Funding for the airport expansion projects comes from a variety of sources including the FAA, the Florida Department of Transportation and other airport revenues. No ad valorem taxes are used for airport construction or operation.

One relatively new source of construction funding was made available to the Lee County Port Authority last November when the FAA granted approval for the collection of Passenger Facility Charges (PFCs) at Southwest Florida Regional Airport.

The PFC, a provision of the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990, is a user fee that generates funding for specific projects. It allows the people who use the services to pay for them and gives airports the flexibility to proceed with construction projects on a more timely and economical basis.

Each passenger flying from the airport pays a Passenger Facility Charge of $3. PFCs are collected by airlines and travel agents as part of ticket prices. PFC collection at Southwest Florida Regional Airport will generate up to $258 million during the next 30 years; the money will be used for 19 specific, FAA-approved projects including the airport's runway extension, terminal expansion and land acquisition.

The year 1992 was noteworthy also because Air Force One flew into Southwest Florida Regional Airport on November 11, 1992 bearing then U. S. President George Bush and his wife. Earlier, on August 5, 1992, British Air Concorde flew into this airport.

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