FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:    Laska Ryan, APR, Manager/Aviation Marketing Communications
                (941) 768-4381 E-mail: llryan@SWFIA.com

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Jan. 9, 2001) * The Lee County Board of Port Commissioners has elected Douglas R. St. Cerny Chairman and Andrew W. Coy Vice Chairman during its first meeting of 2001. The board, composed of the Lee County Commissioners, meets every other month as the Board of Port Commissioners to set policy and direct the operation of Southwest Florida International Airport and Page Field General Aviation Airport in Fort Myers. The other Commissioners are Bob Janes, Ray Judah and John E. Albion.

Southwest Florida International Airport has served more than 4 million passengers each year since 1994, and ranks among the 60 busiest airports in the nation. The Federal Aviation Administration estimates it is the eighth fastest-growing U.S. airport, with a projected 96 percent increase in passengers from 1995 to the year 2010. No ad valorem (property) taxes are used to run Southwest Florida International Airport, which is funded solely with revenue generated from its operation.

Until the international airport opened in 1983, Page Field served as the commercial airport for the five-county region. It now provides general aviation services to corporate, commercial and private aviators, accommodating more than 99,500 aircraft operations annually.