Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, Designed As Country's First LEED(R) Certified Airport, To Start Passenger And Freight Service May 2010

PANAMA CITY, Fla., Nov. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Air freight carriers, manufacturers, distributors and other aviation-related users have a rare occasion for greenfield "inside the fence" development opportunities at Florida's first truly green airport and industrial business park, located at the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.

On schedule to open in May 2010, the 4,000-acre airport includes 1,400 acres of commercial and industrial land available for development with favorable zoning.  Opportunities include parcels of all sizes with direct runway access, as well as select off-runway parcels to accommodate both traditional airfield and compatible non-traditional airfield based users.

Jones Lang LaSalle represents the Bay County Airport and Industrial District (the "Authority") in arranging long-term leases to facilitate development, and also serves as project manager for developing the Property adjacent to Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.

Southwest Airlines and Delta Airlines have committed to passenger service at the new airport. In addition, the Authority is in the process of obtaining foreign trade zone status.

According to Bob Montgomery, Southwest's vice president of properties, current plans call for eight non-stop flights a day from four different cities, totaling about 2,000 passengers per day coming into the new airport.  "I'm just so happy to be here and so happy that this day has finally come," Montgomery said, noting that the airline would help make the region more accessible to a broader market across the country.

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport was designed to be the nation's greenest airport. Development includes extensive use of sustainable construction materials, a landscaping plan that will not require supplemental irrigation, and a terminal building that is on track to become the first LEED Certified airport terminal in the United States.

" Panama City's great transportation infrastructure, central location, strong defense/aerospace presence, and educated workforce makes it ideal for air freight distribution, manufacturing and high-tech aviation-related services, and the opportunity for direct runway access at a greenfield site makes this airport a unique opportunity for a number of different user types," said Richard Norton, Vice President at Jones Lang LaSalle. "The fact that Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport is one of the greenest airports in the country will be a strong consideration as companies become more and more conscious of their environmental impact."