Naples Airport Move Pondered

Officials at Naples Municipal Airport in southwest Florida are determining whether a move would be feasible for the airport given community needs and current expansion constraints.

Despite investing $10 million in noise mitigation programs since 2000, local residents have continued to file grievances. According to the Naples Daily News, the airport received 800 noise complaints from October 2021 to September 2022; however, that figure dropped to roughly 500 in fiscal year 2023.

The Naples Airport Authority is also looking at the potential to expand. Executive Director Chris Rozansky said the airport's footprint cannot grow any larger, remarking, “We’re very constrained and we have a lot of demand, tremendous demand for hangar development and aeronautical business. We have a waiting list of 100 potential customers who we currently cannot accommodate."

Rozansky also noted the airport’s 75,000-pound weight limit restricts certain aircraft from operating, while the potential to rebuild somewhere new could bring in larger aircraft or commercial service.

As a busy general aviation facility, Naples Municipal Airport is an economic driver for the community with more than 360 based aircraft and an average of 320 operations per day. The airport also supports some 5,400 local jobs.

Whatever the outcome of the study, officials say economic impact will remain the determining factor. The study could take from six to nine months to conduct.