Before the I-95 Turn was implemented in February 1994, all jets departing Runway 9 (formerly Runway 8) at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE) were directed to fly east straight out to the ocean, which at the time included a large number of much louder Stage 2 jets. The City of Fort Lauderdale, the community, and the airport tenants worked with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to implement the I-95 Turn. Today, from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., the FAA directs jets that are departing Runway 9 with destinations to the west and north, to turn to the left over the I-95 industrial corridor. This allows the jets to gain altitude over an industrial corridor. The FAA also turns all jets to the left up I-95 during the late-night hours, regardless of destination, between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., except for air ambulance flights, emergencies, and during adverse weather conditions.
Have the flight patterns or routes changed?
The FAA-established flight routes for arriving and departing aircraft have not changed. However, seasonal changes in wind direction occur as cold fronts move into the area. These temporary changes in wind direction cause the flow of air traffic to shift from a predominately west-to-east flow to an east-to-west flow as aircraft need to operate into the wind for the safety of the flight. Smaller aircraft may use Runway 13 or 31 during periods of strong winds from the north or south.
Is the number of aircraft operations increasing?
Overall, total traffic at Executive Airport has decreased 34 percent from 2000 to 2019. Economic conditions, such as the price of fuel, cost of insurance, and overall operating costs, have adversely impacted the amount of sport and recreational activity. The total jet traffic at FXE has remained relatively constant since 2000, of which currently makes up 14% of the total aircraft operations. Since January 1, 2016, the number of excessively loud noise events generated by jets dramatically dropped, due to the fact that the quieter, Stage 3 jets now represents 100 percent of the jet activity at the Airport. There were 128 excessively loud jets in 2015 (with annual average Lmax of 74.5 dB) compared to 21 in 2019 (with annual average Lmax of 73 dB), which is an 84% drop in the number of excessively loud jet operations. The highest number of excessively loud jets was in 1999, when there were 434 loud jets (with an annual average Lmax of 77.4). The loudest years on record was in 1996/1997 with 333/347 loud jets respectively and each year with an annual average Lmax of 79 dB.
Do commercial airline flights fly into Executive Airport?
No. The FAA categorizes Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport as a General Aviation (GA) airport. General Aviation Airports serve non-airline aviation businesses that includes corporate aircraft/flight departments, personally owned aircraft for recreational or business, and aviation operators such as charter, sightseeing, aerial photography/surveying, law enforcement, or flight training. The FAA prohibits at GA airports the operation of scheduled air carriers, such as regional or major airlines or large-aircraft charters.
Why did the Airport need a new control tower?
The construction of the existing Air Traffic Control Tower was commissioned by the FAA in November 2013 and designed to meet the new FAA Tower Security requirements and withstand hurricane strength winds. The state-of-the-art Tower provides a better vantage point of our airport taxiway and runway system and is important to ensure the safe operation of aircraft. The Control Tower is an integral part of the FXE Noise Abatement Program that relies on the cooperation of controllers to instruct aircraft to turn left after takeoff, in essence the I-95 Turn; take off to the west and arrive from the east at night, when wind conditions are calm; and close runway 13 and 31 at night for takeoffs and landings.
Can cargo be cleared at U.S. Customs at FXE?
No. Only passengers and aircraft can be cleared at FXE.
Does the foreign-trade zone bring cargo aircraft and why does the Executive Airport need a foreign-trade zone?
No. Cargo aircraft cannot bring international air cargo to FXE.
The City pursued efforts to increase economic development in the uptown area. The Airport with the City’s full support coordinated and acquired the authority to be the Grantee of Foreign-Trade Zone-241 (FTZ-241), which offers economic advantages and benefits to import/export businesses, such as tax exemption, deferral or reduction (i.e. inverted tariffs) to name a few. In addition to the Airport Properties, FTZ-241 can identify a geographical boundary for a company almost anywhere in the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County-wide region to establish an operator zone.
