Airport traffic slows

FORT MYERS — Passenger traffic through Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers fell 1% in February as airlines cut back on service to Southwest Florida.

The Lee County Port Authority reported a 3% drop in takeoffs and landings at Southwest Florida International Airport in February compared with February 2011. Airlines carried 781,849 passengers through the Fort Myers airport in February, a 1% drop over the same month one year ago.

Despite the decline in the number of airline passengers, hoteliers in the Fort Myers and Naples areas have reported stronger occupancy levels than during the same period last year, suggesting many visitors are driving to the region as airfares have increased.

Delta carried the most passengers to and from the Fort Myers airport, with 160,313 passengers. The other top airlines were AirTran, Southwest, USAirways and JetBlue.