Southwest Florida International Airport

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Southwest Florida International Airport
IATA: RSW - ICAO: KRSW
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Lee County Port Authority
Serves Fort Myers, Florida
Elevation AMSL 30 ft (9.1 m)
Coordinates 26°32′10″N, 81°45′19″W
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
6/24 12,000 3,658 Asphalt/Grooved
(6R/24L) (9,100) (2,774) (open 2010)
"RSW" redirects here. For the band, see Renegade Soundwave.

Southwest Florida International Airport (IATA: RSW, ICAO: KRSW) is an airport located in South Fort Myers, Florida. The airport's service market is Southwest Florida, particularly greater Fort Myers.

The designator RSW was originally assigned for "Regional South-West" (for Southwest Florida Regional Airport - see further information in the "history" section below); however, as the name of the airport has changed, the Lee County Port Authority has re-branded the airport's designator code as "Ready to Serve the World".

In 2005, total passengers numbered 7,518,169, approximately 12 percent more than in 2004.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

FAA diagram for Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
Enlarge
FAA diagram for Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)

RSW was first conceived in 1973, when it became apparent that the existing airport in Fort Myers, Page Field, would not be able to accommodate new aircraft and increased traffic. The government of Lee County, along with Page Field's two carriers National and Eastern, selected a site near Interstate 75, which was under construction at the time. Groundbreaking was held in 1980, and Southwest Florida Regional Airport opened on schedule, May 13, 1983, despite a sinkhole that cropped up in the middle of the runway during construction. Delta Air Lines performed the inaugural flight.

The airport was renamed Southwest Florida International Airport in 1993, although it had hosted international flights since 1984 and U.S. Customs since 1987, primarily for services to Germany and other destinations in Europe. Also in 1993, the runway was lengthened to 12,000 ft (3,658 m), designed to accommodate increased international traffic including potential use by the Concorde. However, while the airport has hosted Boeing 747s (and notably, the U.S. President's Air Force One), as of 2006, the largest aircraft to use the airport for regularly scheduled service are the Airbus A330-300s operated by LTU International Airways on non-stop flights to Dusseldorf and Munich.

[edit] Midfield Terminal Complex expansion

In 1988, the airport exceeded its annual capacity of 3 million passengers; by 2004, the airport was serving nearly 7 million passengers annually. The original terminal featured 19 gates on two concourses.

With the airport operating at more than double its intended capacity, construction of a new terminal dubbed the Midfield Terminal Complex began in February, 2002. After a five month delay, the $438 million[2] terminal opened on September 9, 2005. The terminal has three concourses holding 28 gates, and can eventually be expanded to five concourses with 65 gates. A second runway south of the midfield terminal is scheduled to open in 2010.

However, the airport's facilities, including the second runway currently under construction and the current 28-gate Midfield Terminal Complex, have a yearly design capacity of 10 million passengers. As the airport nears its design capacity - even with the new Midfield Terminal - discussion is already underway for future expansion. The new terminal building can sustain two new concourses and 37 additional gates (see below), but it remains to be seen how the airport will absorb the increased passenger traffic forecasted in the next twenty years.

Demolition of the former terminal, located north of the airfield, was completed in the spring of 2006. Plans are in place for a commercial and industrial park in that location, including airport-related business such as hotels and retail gasoline outlets.[3]

[edit] Facilities

Southwest Florida International Airport occupies 3,431 acres (13.88 km²), 10 mi (16 km) southeast of Fort Myers.

Runways

  • Runway 6/24: 12,000 x 150 ft (3,658 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt
  • Runway 6R/24L: opening 2010

Terminal

  • 798,000 ft² (243,230 m²)
  • Design capacity is 10 million passengers per year, with 29 gates on 3 concourses (current B,C and D). The terminal buildings can be expanded incrimentally to 65 gates on 5 concourses (A-E)

Parking

  • 11,250 spaces for hourly/daily parking
  • 30-space "cell-phone lot" for customers picking up arriving passengers

[edit] Airlines and Destinations

Southwest Florida International Airport has one terminal with three concourses, two with nine gates and one with ten gates. "Concourse A" and "Concourse E" designations have been reserved for the planned future expansion of the terminal.

[edit] Concourse B

Customs and Immigration services are located on the lower level of Concourse B.

Concourse B has 9 Gates: B1 - B9

[edit] Concourse C

Concourse C has 9 Gates: C1 - C9

[edit] Concourse D

Concourse D has 11 Gates: D1 - D9A, D9B, D10

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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