by Robert M. Ball

The next time you look up and see the jets that touch down at our airports every day, take a moment to think of the wonder and majesty of flight and marvel at what a long way we have come since the first propeller mail plane landed on a short, narrow dirt strip in Fort Myers eighty-three years ago.

That plane landed at Page Field, the first airport in Fort Myers. Built on land originally purchased for a municipal golf course, the airport was named in honor of local resident and World War I ace pilot Captain Channing Page.

Over the years, Page Field welcomed mail planes, passenger airlines, and U.S. military forces who trained there during World War II. The Army Air Corps made many infrastructure improvements during its time there, and when Page Field returned to civilian service, it had longer runways and commercial-use buildings that helped to usher the area into the jet age.

With deregulation of the airline industry in 1978 and the growth in our region, passenger traffic into Fort Myers exploded, far exceeding the capacity of Page Field. City and county leaders looked to the future and designed a new airport to serve not just Fort Myers but also the entire region—Southwest Florida Regional Airport. With the advent of service from Canada and Germany, the airport was renamed Southwest Florida International Airport in 1993.

Airports are economic engines for the region they serve. Our airports bring in more than passengers; they bring in dollars. An economic impact study, updated in 2005, shows that our international airport generates an annual regional economic impact of $3.6 billion, or eight percent of the area’s total economy. And Page Field contributes more than $50 million to the local economy annually.

We are part of a global society, and air transport is a critical component of our ability to attract tourism, manufacturing, light industry, and investment in higher education and emerging technology. The vitality of our region and our position in the national and international marketplace depends on our world-class airports.

The Lee County Port Authority continues to commit all of its resources to meet the future aviation and transportation needs of Southwest Florida. Our mission is to support tourism, business, and economic development by providing the highest standards in care, comfort, safety, and technology for commercial and general aviation in the region.

Today, more than 52 percent of Florida’s eighty-five million tourists arrive each year by air. Nearly 118 million passengers have traveled through Southwest Florida International Airport since it opened in 1983. And Page Field is a thriving general aviation airport with more than 71,000 flights annually.

Of course, the area’s pristine environment is a big reason why so many people travel to Southwest Florida. This issue of Times of the Islands, RSW Living, and Bonita Living celebrates the region’s “Call of the Wild.” Organizations like Sanibel’s Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife and artists like Clyde Butcher shine a spotlight on our wild kingdoms and the need to protect them. Places like Bonita Springs’ Dog Beach help locals and visitors forge connections with the outdoors. And our ability to connect Southwest Florida with the world, while maintaining the area’s quality of life, will keep drawing people here for many years to come.