Punta Gorda Airport

PUNTA GORDA A I RPORT three months of operation, they saw a higher demand than they ever expected. We ended up with six flights a week from Columbus and two flights a week from New Hampshire. And, although they shut their doors in 2008, with the rising prices of fuel, they really proved a market that a lot of people said didn’t exist. So, we went out and started marketing to other airlines with the success of Skybus – at least their success here. And in 2009, Direct Air started flying here, and then shortly afterwards Allegiant started flying here. It’s been a lot of ups and downs with the airlines, but in 2010, Allegiant made this a base. In 2018, we had almost 1.6 million passengers. So, we’ve gone from 15,000 passengers in 2007, to nearly 1.6 million in 2018.” This unprecedented success has helped create a powerhouse general aviation airport, as well. Punta Gorda has about 400 home-based aircraft and 217 hangars, with a waiting list of about a year for people looking for hangar space. Parish adds that all of the rolling door hangars on the property failed during the hurricane, and so when they rebuilt, they built hydraulic doors which were capable of withstanding a hurricane. The Airport now has some of the best hangar space available with some of the lowest rental rates. In fact, Punta Gorda Airport has not raised its hangar rates in over 14 years and yet it remains profitable. Florida has a total of 119 airports, 20 of which have commercial service. That means there is a lot of competition among them. Being a coastal community, one of the advantages of Punta Gorda is its location - a mile off Interstate 75, and a convenient drive from either Naples or Sarasota. “And one of the things we’re noted for is that we have a fantastic contract control tower here,” explains Ron Mallard, Chief Operations Officer and Aviation Director. “It is renowned all through Florida. Basically, Punta Gorda is one of the best airports to operate out of air traffic-wise, and you’ll find it’s probably within the top ten airports in low cost of fuel. It’s really a general aviation-friendly airport and we support that throughout, with our