Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers has been awarded a $24.9 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as part of the Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIG) program. The funding will be used to enhance several key areas of the airport, including improvements to the concourse, taxiway, and aircraft apron. Additionally, it will support the expansion of the Terminal Access Road, adding an off-ramp and three traffic lanes to accommodate the increasing number of vehicles transporting passengers to and from the airport.
Steven C. Hennigan, executive director and CEO of the Lee County Port Authority, expressed the importance of the grant, stating, “These funds are essential to the future growth at Southwest Florida International Airport. As we begin the work to add a new concourse at RSW, we will need to ensure that travelers can move smoothly and safely from their cars to the terminal building, and this funding will help meet that goal.”
The AIG program is part of the larger Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, one of three aviation grant programs aimed at enhancing airport infrastructure nationwide. So far, nearly $9 billion of the $15 billion allocated through AIG has been distributed to airports across the U.S. This investment aims to modernize airport facilities and improve the overall travel experience for millions of passengers.
Southwest Florida International Airport, which served over 10 million passengers in 2023, is ranked among the top 50 U.S. airports for passenger traffic. Notably, no ad valorem (property) taxes are used for the operation or construction of the airport. For additional information on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and its impact on airports, visit faa.gov/bil, and for details on Southwest Florida International Airport, visit flylcpa.com.