Airport traffic lifts 7.2%

FORT MYERS — The number of passengers passing through Southwest Florida International Airport rose 7.2% in January compared with the same month one year ago.

The increase in passenger traffic suggests the tourism season in the Fort Myers and Naples areas is off to a strong start this year.

January's spike is the most significant in more than a year because growth in passenger traffic slowed last year compared with previous years. In fact, January 2012 saw a 3% drop in passenger traffic compared with January 2011.

The Lee County Port Authority reported that 755,232 passengers passed through the airport in January. Traffic leaders were Delta, AirTran, JetBlue, Southwest and US Airways.

Airlines have fueled some of the growth in passenger traffic, adding frequency of flights. The airport reported a 3.4% increase in takeoffs and landings in January compared with the same month one year ago.