Airport hits record for 11th month running

Nearly 417,000 passengers traveled through Southwest Florida International Airport last month, a 19.2 percent increase compared to October 2002. Year-to-date passenger traffic is 13.8 percent ahead of the first 10 months of last year.

Nationwide, airports reported a 0.9 percent decrease for the month and a 3 percent decrease year to date, according to the Air Transport Association.

"This was not only the busiest October in the airport's history but also the first to beat the 400,000-passenger mark," said Robert M. Ball, A.A.E., executive director of the Lee County Port Authority. "We're fortunate that our recovery in the wake of Sept. 11 has been more robust than many airports across the country. As of last December our monthly passenger traffic exceeded pre-Sept. 11 levels and started a record-breaking trend that has continued for 11 consecutive months."

Air freight volume for the month increased slightly - 0.4 percent - but is down 4.9 percent year to date.