Airport reports passenger record

FORT MYERS — Nearly 1.3 million passengers passed through the Fort Myers airport in March, a 7.5% increase compared with the same month one year ago.

“Southwest Florida International Airport is pleased to report that March was the single-largest month for passenger traffic in our 33-year history and we experienced record-breaking growth for the first quarter of 2016,” says Robert Ball, executive director of the Lee County Port Authority, in a statement.

The number of takeoffs and landings rose 3.1% in March compared with March 2015 as airlines added flights to accommodate the passenger growth. Year-to-date, passenger traffic is up 8% from the same period last year.