Naples Airport Thinking About Moving 

Southwest Florida’s Naples Municipal Airport officials are assessing whether a transfer would be practical for the airport in light of local demands and existing expansion restrictions.

Even after allocating $10 million for noise abatement initiatives since 2000, nearby inhabitants have persisted in lodging complaints. The Naples Daily News reports that from October 2021 to September 2022, the airport got 800 noise complaints; in the fiscal year 2023, that number decreased to about 500.

The Naples Airport Authority is considering the possibility of growth as well. The airport’s footprint is limited, according to Executive Director Chris Rozansky, who also noted that there is a great deal of demand for hangar expansion and aviation-related businesses. There are presently 100 potential consumers on our waiting list that we are unable to fulfill.

Rozansky also pointed out that some aircraft cannot operate at the airport due to its 75,000-pound weight limit, but larger aircraft or commercial service would be possible if the airport were to be rebuilt somewhere else.

Naples Municipal Airport, a popular general aviation site with over 360 based aircraft and an average of 320 operations per day, is a major economic generator for the community. About 5,400 local jobs are also supported by the airport.

Officials argue that regardless of the study’s findings, economic effect will always be the deciding factor. It can take six to nine months to complete the study.