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FORT MYERS -- Passenger traffic in October decreased 11.8% over the year at Southwest Florida International Airport, according to the Lee County Port Authority.
For the month, 469,145 passengers traveled through the airport located in Fort Myers, down from more than 524,000 in October 2010.
The decrease in passenger traffic came with a nearly identical drop in flights. The airport saw 5,312 takeoffs and landings in October, down 11.7% from the same month a year ago.
The slowdown appears to have resulted from lessened demand. All five of the airport's busiest airlines — Delta, Southwest, AirTran, JetBlue, and US Airways — continue to fly to and from the airport. But, for example, Delta's passenger traffic is down more than 12% over the year, from roughly 123,000 to 108,000 passengers.
The Port Authority also says air freight transport is down over the year. The 2.5 million pounds of freight moved through the airport represent an 18.4% over-the-year decrease in such activity.
Despite the October drops, year-to-date passenger traffic is up 1.5%, the Port Authority says.
With more than 7.5 million passengers served in 2010, Southwest Florida International Airport is one of the 50 busiest airports in the United States.
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