Community Engagement

In 2019, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) determined that the Naples Airport has a $440 million annual positive economic impact on the community. That number has likely grown over the last 3 years and is currently being updated by FDOT.

The NAA pays the City of Naples for utility, police and fire fighting services and has also built, equipped, and maintained City Fire Station #3 at a benefit to the city of more than $1 million per year, as well as several stormwater and environmental facilities. It also builds and maintains internal roadways and utilities, and has constructed many of the external roadway improvements, including horticultural beautification and bicycle paths.

Our commitment is, and has always been, to minimize the adverse impacts of aircraft noise on the community to the extent feasible.

Multiple outside studies have also shown that over 80% of our passengers are local residents, meaning that the success of the airport largely relies on the attractiveness and livability of the community as a whole.

The Florida Department of Transportation estimates that the Naples Airport has an annual economic impact of $440 million on the local economy. The airport is an economic engine that positively impacts the local economy and in turn is partly responsible for the continued increase in local property values.

Additionally, data included in the chart below shows a corollary relationship between jet operations and city and county taxable value.

Transportation is responsible for 14% of total greenhouse gas emissions.

(Source: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data#Sector)

Aviation is responsible for 12% of CO2 emissions from all transportation sources compared to 74% from road transport. It is important to note that average daily aircraft activity at the Naples airport is 310 operations, compared to the following average annual daily traffic (AADT) counts for our nearby streets:

Airport road: 40,000

Golden Gate: 42,000 – 49,000

Pine Ridge: 48,000 – 52,000

I-75: 70,000 – 75,000

US-41: 31,000 – 34000

According to the Air Transport Action Group, the global aviation industry accounts for approximately 2.1% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

(Source: https://www.atag.org/facts-figures.html)General aviation, including aircraft used for business, represents only .20% of global annual CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels and cement making.

(Source: https://terrapass.com/blog/sustainability-35000-feet-business-aviation-climate-change)

In 2021, the American Lung Association rated Collier County an “A” for ambient air quality/ozone.

Naples has both a high pollen count and high humidity. When pollen mildews, it turns black and sticky.

In 2012, the City of Naples commissioned a study through a licensed engineering and geology firm to investigate and test the black soot that some Naples residents find outside on their terraces and cars. The study results showed that the material was pollen consistent with that of palm trees and was not petroleum-based.

(Source: www.flynaples.com/NDN-6.2012)

In 2018, the NAA commissioned a different firm to test a sample on a roof tile from a home under a flight path two miles northeast of the airport in the Wyndemere subdivision. That test showed the same results.

(Source: www.flynaples.com/DaaneLabsReport-4.2018)

Small piston-engine aircraft do use 100 low-lead fuel, also known as avgas. This type of fuel makes up approximately 2% of fuel sales at the Naples Airport.

The FAA along with the aviation and fueling industries are committed to finding an unleaded replacement for avgas by 2030 or sooner. As a member of the EAGLE (Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions) Initiative the NAA is working with counterparts from across the country to develop an alternative that will be safe for all piston aircraft, however a federal ban on the sale of avgas before a viable alternative is developed would have drastic economic and safety ramifications for communities across Florida and the US. Additional information on the EAGLE Initiative may be found here.

The Naples Airport is proud of the number of public services that are based at the airport, including:

• City of Naples Fire Station #3
• Collier Mosquito Control District
• Collier County Sheriff’s Office SWAT and Aviation Teams
• Collier EMS MedFlight
• Angel Flight Southeast
• Civil Air Patrol, a US Air Force auxiliary
• Humane Society of Collier County

Each of these agencies provide critical services when the community needs them most.

The Naples Airport was the recipient of the 2015 J. Bryan Cooper Environmental Award for its water-management system upgrade to remove an open water canal and create a water-management pond on airport property. This work improves the quality of water by treating runoff from the industrial park before it leaves airport property and removes a major wildlife attractant from the immediate airside area.

The NAA is also a proud partner of the Gordon River Greenway, and has developed 2 miles of trails, boardwalks, and bridges on airport property. The Greenway is dog-friendly and contains fishing and look-out piers, a kayak/canoe launch with storage rack, bike racks, restrooms with water fountains, a playground with a treehouse, and picnic pavilions.

The airport also provides an observation deck that is open to the public, with a small exercise area as well as a pavilion situated to watch aircraft arrivals and departures, with Air Traffic Control communications broadcast through a speaker.