e-LinkVolume 3, 3rd Quarter, 2013

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e-Link is a quarterly newsletter for our tenants, vendors and business partners to stay linked in with the projects, accomplishments and development at Southwest Florida International Airport and Page Field.

Robert M. Ball, A.A.E., Executive Director

July

¾ Silver Airways inaugurated new daily nonstop service to Orlando International Airport on July 2.

¾ Dana W. Carr was appointed to the Lee County Port Authority Airports Special Management Committee (ASMC) by the Lee County Board of Port Commissioners. He serves as the ASMC regional member representing Charlotte County. Carr is the executive vice president and director of operations of Air Trek, Inc., a full-service private executive air charter and air ambulance company licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration and has more than 35 years of aviation experience.

¾ The new, state-of-the-art Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting (ARFF) Station opened at RSW and at its new location provides enhanced response time to the terminal. The ARFF facility is an essential part of our long-term growth plan for commercial aviation in Southwest Florida and is the first part of the future Parallel Runway project to be completed.

August

¾ The Florida Public Relations Association honored LCPA with a Golden Image Award and a Judges’ Award for its Facebook Launch for Southwest Florida International Airport at the 2013 Golden Image Awards. FPRA conducts the Golden Image Awards annually to recognize outstanding public relations programs and have become a standard of excellence in demonstrating the best of innovation, planning and design in the state of Florida.

¾ Facility Maintenance Decisions magazine honored LCPA with a Financial Management Award in its 2013 Achievement Awards. LCPA was recognized for its maintenance efforts in minimizing costs, improving efficiencies and reducing energy consumption on its Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning and lighting systems.

e-LinkVolume 3, 3rd Quarter, 2013

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Robert M. Ball, A.A.E., Executive Director

¾ United Airlines announced it will begin nonstop service to Denver International Airport on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013. A weekly flight will operate on Saturdays through Jan. 4, 2014, then daily service will begin on Jan. 7 and run through April 7, 2014.

¾ Southwest Airlines announced new weekly flights to Albany, Denver and Kansas City that will operate on Saturdays from March 8 to April 6, 2014.

¾ Spirit Airlines announced they will resume seasonal daily service to Boston and Minneapolis as well as three weekly flights to Dallas/Fort Worth.

September

¾ The airlines that serve Southwest Florida International Airport and the Federal Aviation Administration have endorsed LCPA to move forward on the new Airport Traffic Control Tower, which will be located adjacent to the new Fire Station between the existing runway and future parallel runway. The new tower will be almost twice as tall as the existing tower - standing 215 feet above ground level. The project will double the size of the building footprint to nearly 17,000 square feet and include not only a relocation of the Airport Traffic Control Tower, but also the Terminal Radar Approach Control and Technical Operations functions, which serve all aircraft activity along the West Coast of Florida, south of Sarasota. LCPA has been awarded $22.8 million in grant funds from the Florida Department of Transportation and received authorization from the FAA to use $22 million in Passenger Facility Charges for the project.

¾ Construction of a new service station and convenience store is underway on the airport’s entrance road and is expected to open by March 2014. Fort Myers Airport Plaza is constructing a 20 fueling position gas station and 7-Eleven convenience store. The project also includes relocating the existing 35-space Cell Phone Lot to an area adjacent to the new gas station, which will more than double the capacity to 75 spaces. This will provide Cell Phone Lot users a place to grab a beverage or a sandwich and use restroom facilities while waiting for arriving passengers.

¾ The I-75 Connector Roadway project has begun and the construction is highly visible to anyone driving on I-75 or down Treeline Avenue. This FDOT project should be completed in 2015 and will offer passengers direct access to RSW from I-75. In addition, RSW will increase traffic lanes on Terminal Access Road, further enhancing airport accessibility.

e-LinkVolume 3, 3rd Quarter, 2013

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Robert M. Ball, A.A.E., Executive Director

Meet Aeronautical Charters, Inc. @ FMY

Where do you want to go today? That’s the question Aeronautical Charters International (ACI) asks every day. No matter what your answer, this private flight charter company is in the business of getting you there! ACI, based at Page Field, maintains a fleet of six planes that are available on demand with as little as two hours’ notice. In addition, they have a network of more than 5,500 aircraft around the world available for private flights to virtually any destination.

Glenn Frith, president of ACI, grew up in Fort Myers and enjoyed spending time at Page Field when he was a boy. “My next-door neighbor worked for Fort Myers Airways, so I would go with him and hang out watching the planes,” Glenn says. All the time he spent around the airport launched his dream of becoming a pilot. But that wouldn’t happen right away. “I ended up going to school for horticulture and business management, and then owned a landscaping company for 12 years,” he reveals. At 29 years old, he rediscovered his love of aviation when he began flying and started selling aircraft with a broker in town. Then, opportunity struck in 2003 when he and his friend, Todd Carroll, purchased ACI, which was based in Punta Gorda. “We relocated the business to Page Field because we saw a great opportunity – it’s in the heart of town with quick and convenient access, and of course, I have a soft spot for the airport I grew up at!”

The company has taken off through the years, catering primarily to customers looking to get out of town for business or pleasure. “Lots of times, we help to fill gaps in commercial service in the area,” Glenn explains. “We get customers heading to the Florida Keys and Bahamas, but also to sports events like football games in Tallahassee or the Masters golf tournament in Augusta. Many of our customers are repeat clientele who take the same trip every year.” ACI’s fleet most frequently flies to destinations along the eastern seaboard, but can take passengers anywhere around the world through their partnerships with other aircraft owners and pilots.

Aside from managing the business, you’ll often find Glenn in the cockpit, flying his customers to their destinations. “I’m a line pilot, just like the rest of my team. I love coming to work, and you can’t beat the office view,” he jokes. As a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association, he offers flights for their kids’ program, the Young Eagles, on the first Sunday of each month. ACI also extends internships to local students interested in aviation, which provides an invaluable mentoring opportunity for future aviators. In addition, ACI has hosted fundraisers for the Sundowners, Blessings in a Backpack, the Cattle Baron’s Ball and other great causes in recent years. Today, Glenn serves as president of the Page Field Association and shares his enthusiasm for the airport with as many people as possible. “I like to educate people that Page Field is important for the health of our community. It brings businesspeople – and new business – to our area,” he says, “FMY is a jewel in our community and I’m glad that ACI is a part of it.”

e-LinkVolume 3, 3rd Quarter, 2013

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Robert M. Ball, A.A.E., Executive Director

¾ In Fiscal Year 2012-13, Delta Air Lines was the traffic leader at RSW with 1.7 million passengers, or more than 22 percent of the market share. Rounding out the top five airlines were AirTran Airways (1.2 million), JetBlue Airways (876,230), Southwest Airlines (782,627) and US Airways (765,706).

¾ Fiscal Year 2012-13 passenger traffic was 7.6 million, an increase of 4.5 percent from last fiscal year.

0100,000200,000300,000400,000500,000600,000700,000800,000900,000

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Monthly Passenger Traffic by Fiscal Year 2009-2013

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2012-2013