More on Ft. Myers' Cuba connection

Don't break out the Cohiba cigars quite yet, but you can add the Fort Myers airport to the short list of Florida gateways to Cuba.

Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers recently won approval from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for flights between Cuba and the United States.

The Fort Myers airport is one of just 12 airports in the U.S. that have such approval for airlines to fly to the isolated island nation. Fort Myers joins Miami, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale in that select list.

Although there is no immediate plan for air service from Fort Myers to Cuba, the airport will be ready when normal relations between the U.S. and Cuba resume.

Fact is, Fort Myers has a rich history of trade with Cuba. Years ago, ranchers shipped cattle to Cuba from Punta Rassa at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River.

And the population of Cuban descent in the area that includes Fort Myers and Naples has risen 237% in the last 10 years according to the recent census, says Carol Obermeier, director of aviation market development for the Lee County Port Authority.