Airport Starts 2003 With Record Traffic

Nearly 540,000 passengers represented a 13 percent increase compared to January 2002 and an increase of less than 1 percent compared to January 2001.

"Following the events of Sept. 11, Southwest Florida International Airport had 15 months of declining passenger traffic, so it is very encouraging to have two consecutive months of increases," said Robert M. Ball, executive director of the Lee County Port Authority.

The airport continues to fare better than the nation's airports as a whole. Nationwide, passenger traffic increased 3.4 percent, according to the Air Transport Association, the trade association that represents the leading airlines in the United States.

Air cargo volume decreased by 12 percent with 2.66 million pounds of air freight moving through the airport during January.

Southwest Florida International Airport, which turns 20 this May has served more than 5 million passengers annually since 2000. It is one of the 60 busiest airports and one of the fastest growing in the U.S.