The Real Ft. Myers Story
The Panama City News Herald (1) ran a story today on the Southwest Florida International Airport in Ft. Myers. It is Orwellian to read how distressed Ft. Myers was in 1983, but that is a story easy to verify (or not) if you are interested. I was active in airport development when this airport was built and opened, and the whole story is very interesting. Here's an excerpt from the official RSW airport web site with highlights in red... contrast the justification and community support with our local experience. The big difference in these projects is the impact of airline deregulation in 1978 (there was huge unserved demand in SW Florida back then; today all routes are available to meet demand) and the traffic count: Ft. Myers had traffic in 1983 approximately equal to the forecast for Bay County in 35 years or so. If I am 100% wrong, it will be 17 years and I apologize in advance.
Both communities would have an "aviation future" with or without a new airport - I notice that RSW now claims all the economic benefits "abandoned" by closing FMY to airline flights (it is still there and bursting with bizjets). That's a bit disingenuous, but not as troubling as our airport board's claims in funding applications. Ft. Myers needed an airport, our boosters just want one a decade or two before they can justify it.
The latest "sales point" is job generation. Since only one version of the future will unfold, we will just have to "win-win". If we get the high-pay jobs, the new airport did it, if we don't - on to the next excuse, but St. Joe has the airport as a freebie to enhance the pinelands - I guess that is a "lose-win" but somebody wins, just not the people who staked the game. It is a shame that a realistic airport plan worthy of public support has not been offered.
(1) You may not find the story - the News Herald has an airtight content-protection policy to prevent online reading unless you subscribe to the website.
6:55:36 PM 
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