Naples reconsiders airlines

It's been seven years since Naples Municipal Airport saw its last passengers board a regularly scheduled commercial airliner.

Delta Connection and smaller carriers pulled out of the Naples airport in 2007 as the recession deepened and nearby Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers increased its market dominance.

Since then, the airport has flirted with airlines, including most recently with discount airline JetBlue flying from the New York City area. Nothing came of those discussions, however.

But the Naples airport is getting serious again about attracting regularly scheduled commercial air service. The airport's board is negotiating with consulting firm Sixel Consulting Group for a study to determine whether the airport can once again attract commercial air service.

The Naples airport has a history of commercial air travel. In 1979, for example, 230,000 passengers passed through the Naples Municipal Airport. As late as 1995, the airport reported 175,500 passengers.

Even without passengers, the Naples airport remains a busy place for private aircraft. In the most recent fiscal year, the airport reported 91,605 takeoffs and landings.