Lee County Port Authority News Release: SOUTHWEST FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ACHIEVES GBAC STAR™ FACILITY ACCREDITATION

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ACHIEVES GBAC STAR™ FACILITY ACCREDITATION

FORT MYERS, Fla. (May 25, 2022) – Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) has achieved the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR™ Facility Accreditation, the gold standard for facility  cleanliness. Under the guidance of GBAC, a division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, the Lee County Port Authority, RSW operator, has implemented the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention in its terminal building.

As the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation, GBAC STAR™ helps organizations establish protocols and procedures, offer expert-led training and assess an airport’s readiness for a biorisk situation. The program verifies that Southwest Florida International Airport has implemented best practices to prepare for, respond to and recover from outbreaks and pandemics.

“I am proud of the RSW team for earning this rigorous accreditation to establish a comprehensive system for a clean and healthy airport environment,” said Ben Siegel, CPA, C.M., executive director of the Lee County Port Authority. “It shows our guests, passengers and employees that we are committed to ensuring that the millions of people who use Southwest Florida International Airport are comfortable in traveling through and working at our airport.”

RSW is a member of the American Association of Airport Executives, who partnered with GBAC and encourages all member airports to achieve this accreditation. In order to achieve the GBAC STAR™, LCPA was required to demonstrate compliance with the program’s 20 core elements, which  ranged from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies to personal protective equipment, as well as emergency preparedness and response measures. To learn more about GBAC and this accreditation, visit gbac.issa.com.

Southwest Florida International Airport served more than 10.3 million passengers in 2021 and is one of the top 50 U.S. airports for passenger traffic. No ad valorem (property) taxes are used for airport operation or construction. For more information, visit flylcpa.com or facebook.com/flyRSW.