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FORT MYERS — Nearly one million passengers passed through Southwest Florida International Airport in February, reflecting a strong tourist season despite some early challenges.
The Lee County Port Authority reported 989,845 people passed through the Fort Myers airport in February, a 9.3% increase compared with the same month one year ago. For the first two months of this year, passenger traffic rose 8.4% compared with the first two months of 2015.
The increase in passenger traffic comes despite softness in the hotel business at the start of the year. For example, the occupancy rate at lodgings in the Fort Myers area fell 3.8% in January, according to the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau, citing Smith Travel Research.
Several factors affected tourism this winter: Weather in northern states was milder than expected and Lee County's beaches were darkened by fresh water releases down the Caloosahatchee River from Lake Okeechobee due to heavy rains.
Southwest Airlines was the airport's largest carrier, with 199,339 passengers traveling to and from Fort Myers. Other top airlines were Delta (184,552 passengers), American (138,890), JetBlue (110,915) and Spirit (103,501). Southwest Florida International Airport reported 8,840 takeoffs and landings in February, an increase of 5.6% compared to February 2015.
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