Punta Gorda airport traffic jumps 31%

PUNTA GORDA — More than 98,000 people traveled through Punta Gorda Airport in April, a 31% increase over the same month one year ago.

The Charlotte County Airport Authority recently celebrated the opening of the new Bailey Terminal to accommodate the passenger growth. The new facility measures 56,000 square feet, nearly the size of a football field and four times the size of the old terminal.

April's 98,101 passengers represented the second-highest month on record for the airport. It also marked Punta Gorda Airport's 30th consecutive month of year-over-year passenger growth.

The Punta Gorda Airport serves tourists and Southwest Florida residents seeking lower airfares from the airport's sole carrier, Allegiant. “It's good to see people are not only coming to the area to enjoy our beautiful Florida weather but those of us who live here have the opportunity to enjoy going north to see family and friends,” says Charlotte County Airport Authority Commissioner James Herston, in a statement.

Allegiant serves 30 cities with nonstop jet service from Punta Gorda, mostly underserved markets in the Northeast and Midwest. Destinations include Allentown, Pa., Grand Rapids, Mich., and Toledo, Ohio.