RSW expansion to ease travel for flyers

Reporter: Camila Pereira Writer: Carolina Guzman
Published: Updated:

Wednesday morning marked a significant milestone for travelers at Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) with the official groundbreaking of a long-awaited expansion.

The expansion project faced severe delays and is hundreds of millions of dollars over budget. However, despite Phase 1’s delay, Phase 2 is underway.

Renderings of the $1.1 billion upgrade show the main terminal in the middle, with construction for Terminal E on the left side.

Southwest Florida is experiencing growth, and RSW projected to serve more than 11 million passengers last year.

The airport said this expansion is necessary to accommodate the increasing traffic.

The project will expand the airport on all three levels, featuring a new ticketing lobby and baggage claim area.

The most significant addition is Concourse E, which will add 14 gates and infrastructure to support 19 gates in the future.

Fifteen airlines currently operate at RSW, and recently, the airport added seven new destinations.

The new concourse will include a TSA checkpoint and areas for food, drink and retail for passengers.

Irvin High, a frequent flyer, expressed excitement about the expansion.

“Oh, well, you have to make it bigger. Probably be easier, like more landing strips. We don’t have to be waiting for the next flight or hopefully of people to make it to their flights than having layovers, which it sucks, but I mean, if it’s bigger, it’s better,” said High.

Despite the excitement, the project has faced multiple setbacks, including delays and budget overruns, which caused some hesitation among local leaders.

On Wednesday, progress was visible, as the groundbreaking ceremony for Concourse E is expected to take place at 10 a.m.

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