Space is "a natural limiting factor," Chris Rozansky, executive director of the Naples Airport Authority, said at a May board meeting, according to Naples Press. Commissioners had asked whether American Airlines coming back to Naples Airport might bring other carriers after it.
Five months later the answer has a date. The Authority's board approved an operating agreement with American at its Oct. 15, 2026 meeting, as Gulfshore Business reported. Twice-daily nonstops between Naples and Charlotte start Dec. 2. Residents of Grey Oaks and the rest of central Naples will have an airline gate a short drive away for the first time since 2017. Three limits already in place at the airport set the size of that service: how heavy a plane can be, what hours it can fly, and how many gates the terminal has.
The Weight Limit Chose the Airplane
Naples Airport has a maximum takeoff weight of 75,000 pounds. American's regional subsidiary, PSA Airlines, will fly the route on 65-seat Bombardier CRJ-700 jets, which come in under that limit. The Authority's October board presentation describes the CRJ-700 as a "regional jet within APF weight limit + Stage 4," meaning it also meets the airport's noise standard.
The aircraft question was mostly settled before American made its proposal. Naples Press reported that the CRJ-700's weight fits the airport's existing fleet mix. At the May meeting, board vice chair John Crees said the jets are quieter than the Gulfstream aircraft already using the runway.
| Airport limit | What it means for the Charlotte flights |
|---|---|
| 75,000-pound maximum takeoff weight | Regional jets only; the route uses 65-seat CRJ-700s |
| Stage 4 noise standard | The aircraft had to meet it, and the CRJ-700 does |
| Voluntary curfew, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. | American agreed to schedule flights outside those hours |
| One commercial gate | Every airline flight goes through the same door |
Larger mainline jets are ruled out at Naples by these rules, so a bigger airplane is not an option for American here. A 65-seat jet twice a day is the service this airfield can hold.
One Gate, Shared With the Private Side
American will fly from the North Road Terminal at 500 Terminal Drive. The building dates to the early 1980s. Its renovation started in 2024 with exterior work, sitework and landscaping, and interior work followed this year. When it is finished, the terminal will have a 75-seat passenger waiting area with restrooms, an airline service counter and offices, a TSA screening area and baggage claim. It has one gate for commercial airlines, plus rental car counters, airport operations offices and space for NetJets.
The Authority approved Phase II of the renovation in December 2025 at a cost not to exceed $4,409,761. That builds a compact terminal. The waiting area seats 75 people, and each flight carries 65. Two departures a day share a room sized for about one planeload, which works only because flights don't overlap.
The terminal is also shared with others. Naples Press reported that American will use the single gate alongside JSX, the scheduled charter service, along with NetJets and the rental car companies. This is what Rozansky meant about space. NAA aviation attorney Peter Kirsch told commissioners the airport must legally negotiate in good faith with any carrier that wants to fly there. But with one gate, any new airline would have to share it.
The Curfew Sets the Hours
The third limit is time. Naples Airport asks operators to avoid flying between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. every day. American has agreed to schedule all its flights outside those hours. Gulfshore Business reported that the agreement commits the airline to "reasonable-best-efforts" compliance. A local history of the airport in Naples Press notes that the curfew is voluntary under federal rules, and that noise has been a community concern for a long time.
That history shaped how the proposal was received. At the May meeting, as reported by Naples Press, American's director of domestic planning, Jordan Pack, said the airline believed there was "an unmet demand by the residents of Naples, and the visitors of Naples, who would prefer to use a direct airport, closer airport right here in the community." Rozansky said the question he hears most is when commercial service will return, and that commercial flights were among the most common requests in the Authority's 2025 sentiment survey. Public comment also included opposition. A member of the Authority's Noise Compatibility Committee asked the board to stop the service and warned that other major carriers would follow, and other residents raised concerns about more air traffic and noise.
In May, Pack described a start of two to three daily round trips. The approved service has two.
Naples Has Tried Small Service Before
Commercial flights at Naples go back to Naples Airlines in 1957. It became part of Provincetown-Boston Airlines, which started operating at the airport in 1960 and stopped in the late 1980s. Later carriers included American Eagle, Delta Connection, Cape Air and Elite Airways, flying to Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Atlanta and Newark. Service declined gradually as Southwest Florida International Airport grew. American last flew from Naples in 2001, and the airport's last commercial flight was in 2017.
Earlier service spread small planes across several destinations, and it lost ground to the larger airport up I-75. This time the setup is different. American is flying one route, and it goes to one of its own hubs. Charlotte is American's second-largest hub, with more than 600 daily flights, including international service. Flying from Naples to Charlotte gives one-stop access to nearly 180 destinations worldwide. Because of the weight limit, Naples can only send small jets, and connecting at a big hub lets those small jets reach a much larger network.
The Points Guy puts Naples Airport about 30 miles south of RSW and describes the new route as a closer option for travelers who live south of Fort Myers. The Authority's October presentation says it anticipates year-round service. That is the airport's expectation and not a published schedule, so seasonal residents who plan return trips in late spring should check flight dates before booking.
Where Launch Readiness Stood in Mid-October
The Authority's Oct. 15 board packet listed the remaining work toward the Dec. 2 start:
- Terminal interior. Phase II interior renovation was expected to reach substantial completion by Oct. 30, with furniture, fixtures and equipment staging targeted for early November.
- Security screening. The airport submitted its request to bring in federal TSA screening on May 21, and TSA acknowledged it. Development of the Airport Security Program and checkpoint training were set to start.
- Operations. Passenger-processing systems were in progress, ground handling and fueling were arranged separately, and staffing, IT, parking and communications were being coordinated.
The packet summarized it this way: "Construction, TSA certification, and operational readiness continue toward the December 2 launch." In May, Naples Press reported that preliminary talks had been held with TSA at Southwest Florida International, which would oversee security operations in Naples, and that Rozansky expected staffing and equipment to be in place by December.
American started selling tickets for the route in June. Departure times, fares and return flights are listed when you book on American Airlines. Updates from the airport are posted on the Naples Airport news page. Holiday travelers looking at early December can now compare two airports.
The Charlotte flights add a new option to everyday life in central Naples, and they also change how a home near Airport-Pulling Road fits into a seasonal routine. For a candid conversation about how travel access, club life and location work together in Grey Oaks and the surrounding communities, Amy Nease is glad to help. Request a private consultation.
