Why is JetBlue eyeing Naples?

JetBlue has a bustling operation at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers.

In fact, it's the third-largest commercial carrier in Fort Myers, ferrying nearly 54,000 passengers in May.

So why is the discount airline eyeing Naples Municipal Airport just 36 miles away, potentially cannibalizing customers from its Fort Myers base?

In a letter to Naples Municipal Airport Executive Director Ted Soliday dated June 19, JetBlue Vice President of Network Planning and Partnerships Scott Laurence says the airline seeks to expand its Florida operations including Naples.

In the letter, Laurence says the airline would like to provide nonstop service between Naples and several New York airports it serves. It is seeking approval to fly larger aircraft into the Naples airport, which hasn't seen commercial air service for five years.

While landing JetBlue would undeniably be a huge boost for Naples, you've got to wonder why the airline would do that instead of expanding in Fort Myers, where it has plenty of room to grow. After all, most Naples residents now use the Fort Myers airport.

The letter doesn't explain the rationale for the inquiry, and JetBlue officials declined to comment further. But Soliday suggests that JetBlue would have a monopoly at the Naples airport if it were to begin service there now.

Operating in Naples could allow JetBlue to capture greater market share from its competitors in Fort Myers by offering convenience to high-traffic markets around New York City. Soliday says in the 1990s Naples had seven commercial carriers ferrying 100,000 passengers departing and returning.