Hello all,

What airlines have served Naples Florida in the past? Also what destinations did they fly to as well as what type of planes did they fly?

With the close proximity to RSW and in recent years PGD do you think it’s possible for service to return? I believe there are some small airlines flying to Miami and the keys out of Naples but no major carriers. Is it possible someone like Silver Airways could pick up some flying out of there?

Thanks!

US flew RJs to Naples for a while, but I think those were cut shortly after 9/11. There were a few others, as well.

Eastern Express used to serve Naples way back when.

I flew Elite on APF-EWR last year. Flight surprisingly was quite full but unfortounately it was cut recently.

lesfalls wrote:

I flew Elite on APF-EWR last year. Flight surprisingly was quite full but unfortounately it was cut recently.

I think LFs were mostly in the 20s.....interestingly, Vero Beach seems to do well, despite its proximity to PBI

N292UX wrote:

US flew RJs to Naples for a while, but I think those were cut shortly after 9/11. There were a few others, as well.

You sure that was RJs? It was just to TPA IIRC


Back in the late 90s, there 6 carriers serving APF

Can I remember them all?...NO...but I'll try


AA E to MIA
USX to TPA
Comair to MCO
COX to TPA?

Air Florida flew there in the early 80's, but pretty sure it was a commuter dba Air Florida. PBA flew there (they may have been the QH carrier) but they flew there in their own colors as well.

DL had an RJ flight from ATL from 2004-2007 but it did poorly, was weight-restricted with the short runway, and fares were ludicrous.

http://archive.naplesnews.com/business/ ... 41601.html

I have a vague - maybe faulty - memory of OW doing MIA-APF briefly toward the end of the ATR operation (2008-2009 timeframe).

The original Piedmont flew F28's there as part of their Florida Shuttle. After the USAir merger, it was quickly all handed over to USAir Express Dash 8's flown by Henson/Piedmont.

I flew to Miami on an AA Eagle SF-340B, circa 1990. Best part was getting off at the AA prop area in MIA which was relatively close to one of the runways and having all the passengers stop and watch as a BA 747 took off right past us. Magnificent. As to the SF-340B, cramped and noisy but still fun.

I'm thinking Pan Am Express flew to Naples in 1990 and 1991.

Naples Airlines flew Martin 404s in 1977/1978 3x to Miami, 3x to Punta Gorda, and 6x to Tampa. It was a division of Provincetown-Boston Airways. The one-way intrastate fare from Miami was $21.00.

I think APF has a huge NIMBY problem as well. There was a big thing about B6 expressing interest in serving APF. Pretty sure it was JFK-APF they were considering, but I think they needed a longer runway or something and the NIMBYs went ballistic. Anyone remember this? There's a thread about it on here.

I wonder if ATL-APF would be a candidate for the CS100 when DL gets them? It wouldn't likely be weight restricted since the airplane only needs 4800 feet at MTOW. I'm surprised APF can't maintain at least something. Especially with Marco Island being so close.

evank516 wrote:

I think APF has a huge NIMBY problem as well. There was a big thing about B6 expressing interest in serving APF. Pretty sure it was JFK-APF they were considering, but I think they needed a longer runway or something and the NIMBYs went ballistic. Anyone remember this? There's a thread about it on here.

I wonder if ATL-APF would be a candidate for the CS100 when DL gets them? It wouldn't likely be weight restricted since the airplane only needs 4800 feet at MTOW. I'm surprised APF can't maintain at least something. Especially with Marco Island being so close.

My parents used to winter in Naples. I'm not a NIMBY, but holy cow some of those business jets were deafening.

RSW serves the region well, though the increasing congestion on I-75 increases the trip time from Naples to the airport.

Naples air service goes way back, when piston-powered props were tops: http://www.sunshineskies.com/naples.html

I flew ASA CRJ-200 (only 44 seats version) from ATL-APF. Service lasted maybe a year or two. I think but may be wrong that the seats were limited because the length of the runway needed a payload restriction?

Over the years we've had many airlines at APF.

Comair, ASA, Yellow Air Taxi, Elite Airways, Cape Air, and American Eagle are the more "recent" ones.

Back in the 80's APF was a base for PBA and a maintenance location with DC-3's, Martin 404's EMB-110's and Cessna 402's all making appearances.

Did National Fly to Naples? I vaguely recall that.

I remember back in the mid-90s taking a DL flight from DFW to RSW that then continued on to Naples. The only reason I remember it is because I thought it was odd, considering how close the two airports were. The plane overnighted in Naples and then returned to RSW before continuing on to DFW.

msp747 wrote:

I remember back in the mid-90s taking a DL flight from DFW to RSW that then continued on to Naples. The only reason I remember it is because I thought it was odd, considering how close the two airports were. The plane overnighted in Naples and then returned to RSW before continuing on to DFW.

I'm thinking you are mistaken. What type of plane was it? Because APF can't take aircraft that DL flew...the smallest they had was 737-200. I don't think that lies within APF's weight restrictions. Otherwiae APF could have easily taken B6's E190s.

I worked at APF from 1977-1981. During that time, PBA dominated the airways with flights to/from MIA, TPA, PGD and EYW using a mixed fleet of DC-3s, Martin 404s, Cessna 402s, Piper Apaches, Embraer Bandeirantes, and NAMC YS-11s. Air Florida Commuter was there for a short time, using CASA C212s, to TPA, and Mackey served APF from MIA using Convair 580s. I remember seeing one of their planes landing and taxiing up to the terminal. The starboard engine kept running, while only one passenger deplaned, and none got on...

PennPal wrote:

I worked at APF from 1977-1981. During that time, PBA dominated the airways with flights to/from MIA, TPA, PGD and EYW using a mixed fleet of DC-3s, Martin 404s, Cessna 402s, Piper Apaches, Embraer Bandeirantes, and NAMC YS-11s. Air Florida Commuter was there for a short time, using CASA C212s, to TPA, and Mackey served APF from MIA using Convair 580s. I remember seeing one of their planes landing and taxiing up to the terminal. The starboard engine kept running, while only one passenger deplaned, and none got on...

And I was a flight instructor in South Florida at that time. No control tower; a bunch of light aircraft in the pattern, and DC-3s or Martins trying to squeeze their way in for landing. Got kind of dicey for student pilots.

727LOVER wrote:

msp747 wrote:

I remember back in the mid-90s taking a DL flight from DFW to RSW that then continued on to Naples. The only reason I remember it is because I thought it was odd, considering how close the two airports were. The plane overnighted in Naples and then returned to RSW before continuing on to DFW.

I'm thinking you are mistaken. What type of plane was it? Because APF can't take aircraft that DL flew...the smallest they had was 737-200. I don't think that lies within APF's weight restrictions. Otherwiae APF could have easily taken B6's E190s.

According to what I saw, APF has a 6000 foot runway. Easily long enough for a 737-200.

What weight restrictions do they have?

BoeingGuy wrote:

727LOVER wrote:

msp747 wrote:

I remember back in the mid-90s taking a DL flight from DFW to RSW that then continued on to Naples. The only reason I remember it is because I thought it was odd, considering how close the two airports were. The plane overnighted in Naples and then returned to RSW before continuing on to DFW.

I'm thinking you are mistaken. What type of plane was it? Because APF can't take aircraft that DL flew...the smallest they had was 737-200. I don't think that lies within APF's weight restrictions. Otherwiae APF could have easily taken B6's E190s.

According to what I saw, APF has a 6000 foot runway. Easily long enough for a 737-200.

What weight restrictions do they have?

According to Google:
Aircraft operating at Naples are limited to a maximum gross weight dual-gear of 75,000 pounds. This restriction, in effect since 1997, is approved by the FAA and based on engineering economic-life objectives.

http://flynaples.com/wp-content/uploads ... 3Final.pdf

11725Flyer wrote:

Naples Airlines flew Martin 404s in 1977/1978 3x to Miami, 3x to Punta Gorda, and 6x to Tampa. It was a division of Provincetown-Boston Airways. The one-way intrastate fare from Miami was $21.00.

Did Marco Islands Airlines ever fly there?

No idea. I was referencing a Naples Airline timetable dated 12/22/1977. Just for fun, here are a few other fares: Tampa-Naples was $31.00 intrastate and If you had excess baggage, you were charged $4.00 per piece. The timetable also has a map that had flights departing Airside B at TPA (Eastern) and D-1 at MIA.

727LOVER wrote:

msp747 wrote:

I remember back in the mid-90s taking a DL flight from DFW to RSW that then continued on to Naples. The only reason I remember it is because I thought it was odd, considering how close the two airports were. The plane overnighted in Naples and then returned to RSW before continuing on to DFW.

I'm thinking you are mistaken. What type of plane was it? Because APF can't take aircraft that DL flew...the smallest they had was 737-200. I don't think that lies within APF's weight restrictions. Otherwiae APF could have easily taken B6's E190s.

It was more than 25 years ago, so I probably was mistaken. I am guessing I mixed up Naples with Sarasota. Either way, the flight was on a 727.

AAvgeek744 wrote:

11725Flyer wrote:

Naples Airlines flew Martin 404s in 1977/1978 3x to Miami, 3x to Punta Gorda, and 6x to Tampa. It was a division of Provincetown-Boston Airways. The one-way intrastate fare from Miami was $21.00.

Did Marco Islands Airlines ever fly there?

No, Marco Island had their airport I remember Marco Island Airways flew from Miami to Marco Island flying Martin 404s

Thank you all for the info! I would love to see scheduled service return to Naples!

Cape Air was the last holdout... flights operated as Continental Connection to Miami and Key West. 9K moved the planes north as they started winning more and more EAS contracts. And interesting tidbit: 9K also flew DAB & SRQ to TPA.

I could be mistaken, but I believe Comair flew MCO-APF on the EMB-120 in the 1990s at the height of the Delta MCO hub.

Living in Naples for 33 years, surely flew a variety of planes including plenty of the PBA DC-3s to from MIami and Tampa, Piedmont F28-s to Miami and Tampa and finally Delta commuter jets of some sort to/from Atlanta. The most notable aircraft in my mind to use the Naples airport in the late 80s was Dan Quayle's 707, Air Force 2, as you might call it. Dropped him off for some kind of speaking engagement at the then new Ritz Carlton on the beach. My understanding was that he landed here on the 707 but then it took off empty without him for RSW where he ultimately rejoined it after his speaking engagement was over to head back to Washington. I guess all kinds are possible with that Naples airport runway.

KICT wrote:

I could be mistaken, but I believe Comair flew MCO-APF on the EMB-120 in the 1990s at the height of the Delta MCO hub.

You are correct...however, I have a pic of a Comair @ APF terminal, but it's a Metroliner. I don't if they ever used EB-120s there.

jmdc861 wrote:

Living in Naples for 33 years, surely flew a variety of planes including plenty of the PBA DC-3s to from MIami and Tampa, Piedmont F28-s to Miami and Tampa and finally Delta commuter jets of some sort to/from Atlanta. The most notable aircraft in my mind to use the Naples airport in the late 80s was Dan Quayle's 707, Air Force 2, as you might call it. Dropped him off for some kind of speaking engagement at the then new Ritz Carlton on the beach. My understanding was that he landed here on the 707 but then it took off empty without him for RSW where he ultimately rejoined it after his speaking engagement was over to head back to Washington. I guess all kinds are possible with that Naples airport runway.

a Boeing 707 at Naples(APF)?

BoeingGuy wrote:

Did National Fly to Naples? I vaguely recall that.

No,National flew into near by Fort Myers.

doulasc wrote:

BoeingGuy wrote:

Did National Fly to Naples? I vaguely recall that.

No,National flew into near by Fort Myers.

...which would have been Page Field, 6400 foot runway.

Pan Am Express operated 3/day J31 service from MIA to APF from mid-1990 until operations ceased in 12/91.
US Airways Express served APF from TPA (up to 4/day) and MCO (1/day) using Air Midwest BE1's in the late 90's until they exited the intra-Florida market altogether in 2001.

usxguy wrote:

Cape Air was the last holdout... flights operated as Continental Connection to Miami and Key West. 9K moved the planes north as they started winning more and more EAS contracts. And interesting tidbit: 9K also flew DAB & SRQ to TPA.

I remember 9K's TPA flights from DAB back when I lived there. They replaced 3M's DAB-TPA flights. IIRC, CO suspended EWR-DAB and weekend CLE-DAB back in 2001 after 9/11 and restored CO's presence the following year with TPA flights before bringing EWR-DAB back on CO Express. I think they added the Cape Air flights shortly after. CLE-DAB came back for a while as well.