Trendsetter

Despite the many problems and obstacles, the Southwest Florida Regional Airport had become a "trend setter." Not only was it the nation's first full-scale new airport since the opening of the Dallas/Ft. Worth Regional Airport in 1974, it was the first airport to be built in compliance with National Environmental Protection Association (NEPA) regulations. NEPA was an organization established to environmentally protect not only the airport site, but also the community surrounding the airport. These new regulations, in a heretofore uncharted area, were responsible for additional research and construction costs.

Active participants in the planning and decision-making process of the construction of Southwest Florida Regional Airport emphasize that what were commonly known as cost overruns, were actually due to additional environmental and physical protective measures, and the additional facilities required by moving from Phase 1 into Phase 2 of the airport's master plan ahead of schedule because of the increased volume of air travel here.

Unforeseen problems with land acquisition and runway repairs were all necessary costs and were ultimately reflected in the landing fees which, for a time, were the highest in the nation. As air traffic increased and new carriers arrived, those fees were reduced.

Paul Doherty, Executive Director of the Lee County Port Authority, emphasizes with satisfaction that, "No county taxes were used in the airport construction or operation."

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