Ruth Haines
Southwest Florida International Airport (IATA: RSW, ICAO: KRSW, FAA LID: RSW) is a major airport in the South Fort Myers area of unincorporated Lee County, Florida. The airport code RSW is short for Regional South-West. Southwest Florida International Airport is one of the top 50 US airports, serving more than 11 million passengers in 2024.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Airport Code | RSW |
| Airport Name | Southwest Florida International Airport |
| City Served | Fort Myers |
| Location | 11000 Terminal Access Road, Suite 8671, Fort Myers, Florida 33913 |
| Elevation | 14 ft / 4 m |
| IATA Code | RSW |
| ICAO Code | KRSW |
| Time Zone | GMT -5:00 |
| Coordinates | 26°31′36″N 081°46′30″W |
| Runway(s) | 2 |
| Website | https://flyrsW.com/ |
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What You'll Learn
Southwest Florida International Airport's history
Southwest Florida International Airport (IATA: RSW, ICAO: KRSW, FAA LID: RSW) is a major county-owned airport in the South Fort Myers area of unincorporated Lee County, Florida. The airport serves the Southwest Florida region, including the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Naples-Marco Island, and Punta Gorda metropolitan areas. It is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection port of entry and is currently the second-busiest single-runway airport in the United States, after San Diego International Airport, California.
Construction of the airport began in 1980, and it opened on schedule on May 14, 1983, as Southwest Florida Regional Airport (the airport code RSW is short for "Regional South-West"). The airport originally included a single 8400-ft runway and a passenger terminal with 14 gates on two concourses. The original terminal was located on the north side of the runway at the end of Chamberlin Parkway. When the airport opened in 1983, it was served by Air Florida Commuter (operated by Finair Express), Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Eastern Air Lines, Northwest Orient Airlines, Ozark Air Lines, Pan Am, Republic Airlines, and United Airlines. Delta Air Lines operated the first flight. By 1985, American Airlines, People Express, Provincetown-Boston Airlines, Southern Express, and USAir were also serving the airport. In 1986, American Trans Air (later known as ATA) began service to Fort Myers with flights to Indianapolis International Airport, which was the airline's first scheduled service.
The airport was renamed Southwest Florida International Airport in 1993, although it had hosted international flights since 1984 and had a U.S. Customs presence since 1987. The name change coincided with the completion of a 55,000-square-foot Federal Inspection facility annexed to the original terminal's Concourse A. In 1988, the airport exceeded its annual capacity of 3 million passengers. By 2004, this number had increased to nearly 7 million passengers annually. In April 1994, LTU International introduced the Munich–Düsseldorf–Fort Myers–Miami–Düsseldorf–Munich route, which was Fort Myers' first flight to Europe.
The original terminal has been expanded over the years to accommodate increasing passenger traffic. In 1994, the runway was lengthened to 12,000 ft (3,658 m) to better accommodate international service, becoming the fourth-longest runway in Florida. In 1998, a new wing was added to Concourse B, which included three additional gates, bringing the total to 17. As of 2024, the airport has one terminal with 27 gates across three concourses (B, C, and D) and is currently undergoing further expansion to improve efficiency and provide passengers with more amenities and options. In 2024, the airport served 11,028,182 passengers, the most in its history.
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RSW's location
Southwest Florida International Airport (IATA: RSW, ICAO: KRSW, FAA LID: RSW) is located in the South Fort Myers area of unincorporated Lee County, Florida, in the United States. The airport is situated just southeast of Fort Myers, in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Naples-Marco Island, and Punta Gorda metropolitan areas. With 13,555 acres of land, it is the third-largest airport in the United States in terms of land size. Of this land, 6,000 acres have been conserved as swamp lands and set aside for environmental mitigation.
The airport is accessible via Terminal Access Road, with the address 11000 Terminal Access Road, Fort Myers, FL 33913. It is one of the newest airports in the nation, having been certified for operation in May 1983. Construction of the airport began in 1980, and it opened on schedule on May 14, 1983, as Southwest Florida Regional Airport. The airport code RSW is short for "Regional South-West".
The airport is focused on providing a convenient, comfortable, and exceptional travel experience. It offers both domestic and international services, with 14 airlines providing nonstop service to 57 destinations, including Canada and Germany. In 2024, the airport served 11,028,182 passengers, the most in its history, and it is currently the second-busiest single-runway airport in the United States.
Southwest Florida International Airport is committed to the region's commercial air service and has been undergoing expansion projects to improve efficiency and provide passengers with more amenities and options. These projects include the construction of additional concourses and the consolidation of TSA screening checkpoints to cut down on wait times.
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Airlines that serve RSW
Southwest Florida International Airport (IATA: RSW, ICAO: KRSW, FAA LID: RSW) is a major airport in the South Fort Myers area of unincorporated Lee County, Florida. The airport serves the Southwest Florida region, including the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Naples-Marco Island, and Punta Gorda metropolitan areas. It is one of the top 50 airports in the United States in terms of passenger traffic, serving 11,028,182 passengers in 2024, the most in its history.
A number of airlines serve RSW, including:
- Southwest Airlines, which offers daily nonstop routes to RSW from the East and West coasts of the United States.
- Spirit Airlines, a low-cost carrier that serves many cities in the United States.
- Sun Country Airlines, which caters to multiple destinations in Central and Northern United States.
- United Airlines/United Express, which brings more passengers to RSW than any other airline, with numerous flights each day.
- WestJet, a low-cost carrier offering flights from departure airports in Canada to Fort Myers.
- Eurowings, which began service to RSW in 2022.
- Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Avelo, Discover, Frontier, Lynx, Porter, and Air Florida Commuter (operated by Finair Express) are among the other airlines serving RSW.
The airport is currently undergoing expansion, with a new concourse being constructed and improvements being made to the terminal to enhance the travel experience for passengers.
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RSW's busiest year on record
The airport code RSW corresponds to Southwest Florida International Airport, which is located in Fort Myers, Florida. RSW is a key airport serving the region and has experienced significant growth and development over the years.
2022 was a record-breaking year for RSW, with the airport handling an unprecedented number of passengers and experiencing substantial growth in various metrics. The airport saw a total of 11,141,317 passengers in 2022, a remarkable increase of 12.5% from 2021 and surpassing the previous record set in 2019 before the pandemic. This growth firmly established RSW as one of the nation's top 50 busiest airports in terms of passenger volume.
The increase in passenger traffic can be attributed to several factors, including the continued recovery of the travel industry from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the attraction of Southwest Florida as a popular tourist destination. The region's beautiful beaches, golf courses, and variety of outdoor activities have drawn travelers from across the country and internationally.
RSW also experienced a significant increase in the number of aircraft operations, with a total of 142,674 takeoffs and landings in 2022, representing a 9.8% increase compared to 2021. This growth highlights the airport's busy and vibrant nature, accommodating a high volume of flights to meet the demand for travel to and from the region.
To manage this increased traffic and ensure a smooth travel experience for passengers, RSW undertook several initiatives. These included the expansion of the terminal, the optimization of security checkpoints, and the enhancement of overall customer service. The airport also benefited from the strong support and collaboration of its airline partners, who responded to the growing demand by offering additional seats and destinations.
As RSW looks back on its busiest year on record, the airport continues to focus on providing a safe, efficient, and enjoyable travel experience for its customers. With the ongoing development of the region and the enduring appeal of Southwest Florida as a destination, RSW is well-positioned to build on its success and continue setting new records in the years to come.
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RSW's terminal expansion plans
RSW, the airport code for Southwest Florida International Airport, located in the South Fort Myers area of unincorporated Lee County, Florida, has several terminal expansion plans in the works. The airport, which is one of the top 50 airports in the U.S. and the second busiest single-runway airport in the country, served more than 11 million passengers in 2024, the most in its history.
The terminal expansion plans include extending the airport terminal across all three levels, with a new ticketing lobby and Bag Claim area, a new baggage handling system, and a new Concourse E with 14 initial gates and the capacity to support 19 gates in the future. The new concourse will also include a Transportation Security Checkpoint, expanded retail, and food and beverage concessions. The Transportation Security Administration checkpoints will be consolidated into a new 16-lane setup, with additional seating, concession spaces, and a business lounge. The expansion will remodel more than 164,000 square feet of space and add 117,000 square feet of new walkways and concession space.
The expansion project also includes airside improvements, upgrades to the chiller plant building, and road and curbside improvements that will expand and reconfigure terminal access roadways. Construction is also underway to consolidate the three existing checkpoints into one, and to build a fourth concourse, Concourse E, on the west side of the terminal, which is planned to be completed by the end of 2027. A fifth concourse, Concourse A, has been proposed for the east side of the terminal.
The terminal expansion projects are managed by the Development Division, which is responsible for overall management, including engineering, construction, planning, environmental compliance, and government affairs. The projects are funded with grants from the Florida Department of Transportation, Passenger Facility Charges (PFCs), airport revenue bonds, and Lee County Port Authority LCPA construction funds.
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Frequently asked questions
RSW is the airport code for Southwest Florida International Airport. The code is short for "Regional South-West".
RSW airport is located in the South Fort Myers area of unincorporated Lee County, Florida, United States.
The address of RSW airport is 11000 Terminal Access Road, Fort Myers, FL 33913.
