Everglades Jetport: Failure to launch

Envisioned as the world’s largest supersonic airport, it now sits abandoned in the middle of the Florida Everglades.

The Everglades Jetport, initially conceived in the 1960s, was envisioned as the largest airport in the world, designed to accommodate the new generation of supersonic jetliners. Located in the heart of the Florida Everglades, this ambitious project aimed to transform the region into a major hub for international travel. Construction began in 1968 with the completion of a single runway, but environmental concerns and economic shifts soon stopped the grand plans.

The potential impact on the fragile Florida Everglades ecosystem sparked widespread opposition from environmentalists and conservationists. The Everglades is a unique and delicate ecosystem home to a diverse array of wildlife and plant species, many of which are endangered. The construction and realization of such a large airport threatened to disrupt water flow and damage habitats, posing a significant risk to the region’s biodiversity.

While the initial idea of strategically putting a massive airport in the middle of nowhere was great, environmental awareness grew, and the proposed jetport plan faced mounting public, political, and environmental scrutiny. In response to these concerns, a federal task force conducted a thorough environmental assessment, ultimately recommending the cessation of further development. By 1970, the ambitious plans for the Everglades Jetport were officially abandoned, with only the initial runway and a few support structures completed.

Today, the Everglades Jetport, also known as Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport (IATA: TNT), serves a more modest purpose. It is primarily used for flight training and air traffic control exercises, taking advantage of its isolated location and expansive airspace. The site is a testament to the complex interplay between development and environmental preservation, illustrating the importance of safeguarding natural resources. Visitors and aviation enthusiasts can explore the jetport’s history while appreciating the surrounding Everglades, which continue to thrive as a vital and protected ecosystem. The story of the Everglades Jetport highlights the enduring need to balance progress with the stewardship of our planet’s most precious environments.

Photo Gallery

Everglade Jetport Uncensored

Visiting the Everglades is an amazing and lengthy journey across the southern tip of Florida. While the Everglades Jetport is definitely not a tourist destination, it serves as a marker to dark tourism enthusiasts who want to learn about the history of grand ambitions fulfilled by what now stands as a weed-infested, decaying single-runway structure in the middle of the swamps of South Florida.

The Jetport’s perimeter road is accessible from US-41; however, it is considered an operational airfield, and crossing the perimeter fences is illegal.