Southwest Florida International Airport is entering the home stretch of a major expansion, with officials showing off Concourse E's progress to local media during a walkthrough last Thursday. The $1 billion project will add 14 gates to the Fort Myers airport, part of a broader effort to keep pace with a surge of travelers moving through southwest Florida.
Airport CEO and Executive Director Stephen Hennigan said the growth is being driven by increased traffic across the region, and that RSW is trying to stay ahead of the demand. Hennigan said the airport aims to serve the community and visitors while maintaining flexibility, ease of access and the guest experience. The Pine Island Eagle has reported that the project has reached the finish-work stage.
Concourse E is projected to open in late 2027, according to USA Today, which also reported that the concourse will open with 14 initial gates and the infrastructure to support additional capacity down the line. Construction on the facility began in October 2024, per WINK News, and Gulfshore Business has reported that the expansion is expected to be completed in 2027.
What Flyers Can Expect Inside the New Concourse
Once finished, Concourse E will connect to Concourses B, C and D, giving the airport a more unified layout. The new space will include a TSA checkpoint with up to nine lanes and a dedicated United Airlines club, according to the Pine Island Eagle’s reporting. Gulfshore Business has separately reported that the concourse is planned to include new restaurants, a United Airlines lounge and a centralized TSA checkpoint, and that it’s designed to allow additional expansion as passenger demand grows.
The airport has pointed to passenger demand as the driving force behind the buildout. RSW served more than 11.1 million passengers in 2025, according to the airport’s own statistics, placing it among the top 50 U.S. airports for passenger traffic. Per Hennigan, the airport recorded 1.5 million passengers in March, and had 1 million seats in October; the airport expects 1.25 million seats in November and 1.5 million seats in December.
Concession Refresh Rolling Through the Terminal
Beyond the new concourse, the airport has been renovating concessions in Concourses B and D, with Concourse C remaining the only one still awaiting a refresh, per the Pine Island Eagle’s reporting. USA Today has separately reported that new food and shopping concessions tied to the broader expansion have already opened, alongside refreshes to some existing spots.
Officials have said work on Concourse E has progressed without the kind of setbacks tied to an earlier phase of terminal improvements, according to Gulfshore Business. That earlier phase was described by WGCU in March 2025 as stalled for about a year amid design and construction issues, even as Concourse E moved forward; WGCU also reported that completing the stalled work could require another $346 million on top of a roughly $331 million budget for that phase.
Funding and the Road Ahead
The airport’s expansion plans extend beyond the new concourse, covering all three terminal levels with a new ticketing lobby, bag claim area and baggage-handling system, according to the airport’s project page. Funding draws on grants, passenger facility charges, airport revenue bonds and Lee County Port Authority construction funds, with the airport stating that no property taxes are used for airport operation or construction. Roadway improvements are also underway to accommodate the increased traffic the expansion is expected to bring.
Looking further out, the region’s growth trajectory suggests the new gates may only be a first step. Construction Equipment Guide has reported that RSW’s master plan projects annual passenger traffic could near 17.5 million by 2041, and that the new concourse is designed to support a total of 33 gates in the future — though the airport’s own project page cites capacity for 19 total gates, a figure that has not been reconciled across sources. USA Today has reported that the additional gates are expected to bring 10,000 to 15,000 more passengers into the airport and the region every day once complete.
