Fort Myers Lands Mexico Route, Aims to Boost Reach

Mexico becomes Southwest Florida International Airport's third non-U.S. destination Dec. 7 when MetJet launches weekly seasonal flights to the coastal resort city of Cancun.

What's next? That depends, say officials at the airport serving Fort Myers on Florida's southern Gulf Coast.

They say they'd love to expand the international reach of the airport even more. Lee County Port Authority offers financial incentives to that end, and sends staffers on trips to make their case. Still, changes in airline economics make courting the world an uphill climb.

"We're reaching somewhat of a plateau (in service)," said Bob Ball, port authority executive director. It takes 29,000 to 35,000 passengers a year before it becomes economically feasible to add a direct flight to anywhere," Ball said.

That means the potential "is very slim" for landing nonstops to such coveted destinations as South America and the United Kingdom, according to Ball.

The airport already is in rare company: Of the 429 commercial airports in the USA, it's one of just 26 with nonstops to non-U.S. destinations.

Canadian service began nearly two decades ago. Nonstops to Germany made their debut in April 1994. Service to these countries has held on, thanks largely to foreign nationals establishing second homes here.

The airport has year-round service to Dusseldorf, Germany, and Toronto — and seasonal service to Montreal and Ottawa.

Airlines are more risk-averse after a rash of bankruptcies followed by mergers and service cuts to bolster profitability. When contemplating new international service, carriers usually decide it is safer to stay with the bigger Florida cities, and assume people will rent cars and drive here, said Ball and others.

That reality doesn't keep Ball from dreaming, however. High on his mental wish list: The United Kingdom, the Caribbean, Scandinavia, Russia or another former Soviet bloc country and anywhere in South or Central America.