Page 20 - November2026LifeInNaples

Naples Airport

Advances

Sustainability

Through

Innovation

Naples Airport's elevated airfield lights, at left, will raise
lights 20 inches above ground level, significantly higher than
Chris Rozansky the current height to boost flood resiliency.
Executive Director
Naples Airport Authority
t Naples monitoring data on Florida panthers. Water quality and natural habitats
Airport, Flights typically take place two or three remain important components of the
Asustainability times a week and involve slow, low-altitude airport’s sustainability strategy. Through
is connected to a flying that allows FWC researchers to a partnership with EG Solutions, its
larger goal: operating use directional radio telemetry to locate, stormwater management program is
efficiently today while identify and record the locations of radio- designed to improve water quality, reduce
investing in an airport instrumented panthers and collect other wildlife hazards and protect surrounding
and community that natural-resource information. waterways. The airport also supports the
are more resilient for the future. Among the airport’s most recent 140-acre Gordon River Greenway, an
That approach can be seen not only investments is a 270-panel rooftop solar ecological corridor that helps preserve
in the airport’s own infrastructure and project designed to advance the airport’s natural habitat while providing recreational
operations but also in innovative work sustainability goals while also enhancing connections for the community.
taking place on the property by airport operational resiliency. The project is part of a For an airport that supported 125,926
tenants. One example comes from Collier broader effort to build infrastructure better takeoffs and landings in fiscal year 2025
Mosquito Control District, which operates prepared for the severe weather Southwest and contributes an estimated $781 million
from the airport and uses drone-mounted Florida can experience. in annual economic impact, sustainability
light detection and ranging (LiDAR) Other resiliency initiatives include requires balancing environmental
technology to make mosquito control more replacement and elevation of critical airfield responsibility with safety, efficiency and
precise and environmentally responsible. lighting and electrical systems, and the long-term community needs. That means
Rather than treating entire habitats addition of rapidly deployable Tiger Dam there is no single project that defines the
where mosquitoes could be breeding, flood barriers designed to protect essential effort.
LiDAR allows the district to map subtle facilities, equipment and technology. The Sustainability at Naples Airport can be
differences in elevation and identify airport also conducts annual hurricane found in solar panels generating renewable
the low-lying areas where floodwater planning and training to ensure emergency energy, electric equipment operating on
mosquitoes are most likely to develop. In response measures are ready throughout the airfield, stormwater improvements
2026, the technology helped refine four hurricane season. protecting nearby waterways and new
treatment areas, reducing the acreage Naples Airport is also continuing its technologies helping airport tenants use
requiring treatment by nearly 63%. With efforts to reduce emissions by transitioning resources more precisely.
repeat applications factored in, the district ground vehicles and equipment to Together, those efforts represent
estimates the changes could avoid the use electric alternatives and establishing a an evolving approach to sustainability,
of more than 6,600 pounds of mosquito transformative fuel initiative that made one focused not only on reducing
control material annually while saving it the first airport on the East Coast to environmental impacts but also on creating
approximately $101,000 in product costs. publicly offer a regular supply of sustainable a more resilient airport for the community
Naples Airport also serves as a base aviation fuel. Together, those efforts look at it serves.
for aviation supporting Florida panther both sides of airport operations, addressing
research. The Florida Fish and Wildlife emissions associated with aircraft as well as
Conservation Commission uses aircraft the vehicles and equipment working on the For more information about Naples Airport,
from airport tenant RexAir to collect ground each day. please visit FlyNaples.com.

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