Page Field is a public airport located in
Fort Myers
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
, in
Lee County, Florida
Lee County is located in southwestern Florida, United States, on the Gulf Coast. As of the 2020 census, its population was 760,822. In 2022, the population was 822,453, making it the eighth-most populous county in the state. The county seat ...
, United States. It is owned by the Lee County Port Authority;
the
National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) is an inventory of U.S. aviation infrastructure assets. With the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of September 3, 1982, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was required to develop a ...
for 2011–2015
categorized it as a
reliever airport
A relief airport or reliever airport is an airport that is built or designated to provide relief or additional capacity to an area when the primary commercial airport(s) requires additional capacity, on a long-term or temporary basis.
Reliever ...
.
History
In 1924, the city of
Fort Myers
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
purchased 670 acres of land south of the city with the intention of developing it into a municipal golf course. However, the golf course never came to fruition and it was instead developed into a civil airport. The airport commenced operation in 1926 with unpaved sod runways. Daily air mail service subsequently began to Fort Myers. In its early days, the airport was nicknamed "Palmetto Field" for the large amount of palmetto brush growing in and around the airport. Passenger air service began at the airport in 1937 when
National Airlines commenced regular flights. However, those were soon discontinued due to the poor landing conditions on the unpaved runways.
The city of Fort Myers deeded the airport to Lee County in 1939, and the airport was then known as Lee County Airport. Efforts to upgrade the airfield were boosted by a January 1940
Works Projects Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to c ...
(WPA) project that constructed three concrete runways. In addition, other improvements were made and by the time of the
Pearl Harbor Attack
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. At the ti ...
, Lee County Airport had grown to about 600 acres in size. After the improvements were complete, National Airlines resumed service to the airport.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Lee County Airport was leased by the
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, als ...
and was then known as
Fort Myers Army Air Base.
It was used by the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a Numbered Air Force, numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U ...
for antisubmarine patrols and conventional bomber training in the
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models desi ...
. The facility returned to civil control of the State of Florida and then Lee County shortly after the end of the war.
On May 21, 1942 (while still under control of the War Department), the Lee County Commission officially named the airport Page Field. Page Field was named in honor of Captain Richard Channing Page, a local
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
aviator killed in a seaplane accident near
Everglades, Florida
Everglades City is a city in Collier County, Florida, Collier County, Florida, United States, of which it was once the county seat. It is part of the Naples, Florida, Naples–Marco Island, Florida, Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Are ...
on March 3, 1920. Captain Page was the first person from Florida to join the
Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps
The Aviation Section, Signal Corps, was the aerial warfare service of the United States from 1914 to 1918, and a direct statutory ancestor of the United States Air Force. It absorbed and replaced the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps, Aer ...
. During World War I, he was credited with three German aircraft destroyed in combat and was the recipient of the
Distinguished Service Cross along with the
French Croix de Guerre
The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during Worl ...
and other awards. Despite the name change, the Army continued to refer to the airport as Fort Myers Army Air Base until the end of the war.
In the 1950s,
National Airlines was still the only passenger airline at Page Field (FMY), with six departures a day. During the decade, the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
barracks were replaced with a small terminal on the south side of the field, which was expanded in 1960. A new larger passenger terminal on the north side of Page Field opened on November 1, 1975.
National's 727s were the first jets at FMY, in winter 1965–66; FMY's longest runway was 5,002 feet. Except for commuter airlines, National was alone at FMY until,
Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines (also colloquially known as Eastern) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade ...
arrived in December of 1975, a month after the new terminal opened. In 1981, the airport was served by
Air Florida
Air Florida was an American low-cost carrier that operated under its own brand from 1972 to 1984. During the period from 1972 to 1978 Air Florida was an intrastate airline. Until a high-profile 1982 aircraft crash in Washington DC, Air Florida ...
,
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, operating nine hubs, with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being its ...
,
Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines (also colloquially known as Eastern) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade ...
,
Florida Airlines,
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines (often abbreviated as NWA) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 until it Delta Air Lines–Northwest Airlines merger, merged with Delta Air Lines in 2010. The merger made Delta the largest airline ...
,
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and more commonly known as Pan Am, was an airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States for ...
(Pan Am), Sun Air,
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1930 until it was acquired by American Airlines in 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles ...
(TWA), and
United Airlines
United Airlines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois that operates an extensive domestic and international route network across the United States and six ...
.
After
deregulation of the airline industry in 1978, it became clear that Page Field was too small for future demand, and on May 14, 1983, the airlines moved to the new Southwest Florida Regional Airport, now called
Southwest Florida International Airport
Southwest Florida International Airport is a major county-owned airport in the South Fort Myers area of unincorporated Lee County, Florida, United States. The airport serves the Southwest Florida region, including the Cape Coral-Fort Myers ...
(RSW). Page Field is a designated FAA reliever airport for RSW and has only general aviation, military, and business traffic.
Since May 14, 1983 through the end of 2019, Page Field has handled 3,483,598 aircraft operations, average 94,506 annually. In 1987, the airport experienced its busiest year ever, with 120,921 aircraft operations.
Facilities

Page Field covers 588
acre
The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...
s (238
ha) at an
elevation
The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...
of 17 feet (5 m). It has two
asphalt
Asphalt most often refers to:
* Bitumen, also known as "liquid asphalt cement" or simply "asphalt", a viscous form of petroleum mainly used as a binder in asphalt concrete
* Asphalt concrete, a mixture of bitumen with coarse and fine aggregates, u ...
paved
runway
In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...
s: 5/23 is 6,406 by 150 feet (1,953 x 46 m) and 13/31 is 4,910 by 150 feet (1,497 x 46 m).
In 2019, the airport handled 114,863 operations, an average of 314 per day. More than 400 aircraft are based at Page Field as of January 2020. There are 21 local businesses operating at FMY, including aviation-related flight training, charter, avionics and maintenance facilities, in addition to community tenants.
In August 2011, a new terminal complex opened on the west side of Page Field. Base Operations at Page Field is a modern 22,600-square-foot building. Concierge front desk service, pilot lounges, weather briefing, flight planning and executive conference rooms, free Wi-Fi and a gift shop are offered at Base Operations. There is a 600,000-square-foot ramp with business aircraft parking, 24,000 square feet of itinerant hangar space and full-service Jet A and 100LL avgas, as well as self-serve 100LL avgas.
In October 2019, a new Multi-Use Hangar opened with 24,000 square feet, four crew offices and an additional 58,000 square feet of paved apron space to help address the seasonal demand for aircraft ramp parking.
The economic benefit of Page Field is $385 million annually according to the 2018 Florida Department of Transportation Economic Impact Study
2018 Economic Impact Study conducted by Florida Department of Transportation
Awards
*
Florida Department of Transportation
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the U.S. state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the power ...
named Page Field the General Aviation Airport of the Year in 2002 and 2008.
See also
*
List of airports in Florida
This is a list of airports in Florida (a U.S. state), grouped by type and sorted by location. It contains all public-use and military airports in the state. Some private-use and former airports may be included where notable, such airports that w ...
References
External links
Page Field Airport(official site)
Base Operations website* brochure fro
CFASPPAerial image as of January 1999from
USGS
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an government agency, agency of the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geograp ...
''
The National Map
''The National Map'' is a Collaboration, collaborative effort of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and other federal, state, and local agencies to improve and deliver topographic information for the United States. The purpose of the eff ...
''
*
*
*
{{Florida airports
Airports in Florida
Airports established in 1927
Buildings and structures in Fort Myers, Florida
Transportation in Fort Myers, Florida
1927 establishments in Florida
Transportation buildings and structures in Lee County, Florida