Everglades Jetport

Author’s Note

Due to the current political climate in our country and the sensitivity surrounding this topic, I want to clarify that this is not intended to be a political post. My goal is to share the story of the Everglades Jetport and the lost era of supersonic airliners, presenting the facts about the subject matter. I understand that some may perceive the article as leaning too far left or right, but that is not my intention. So, what is the story behind the airfield where Alligator Alcatraz is located, which the news has been calling “abandoned”?

History of the Everglades Jetport

Originally envisioned in the late 1960s as the world’s largest airport, the Everglades Jetport was intended to be Miami’s response to the growing demand for international air travel, both for general and commercial flights. The future of flight was about to change, or at least that’s what was thought at the time.

It was anticipated that supersonic aircraft would dominate long-haul air transportation. As the British-French Concorde and the Soviet Tupolev Tu-144 supersonic airliners were close to completion, Boeing was developing one for the United States: the Boeing 2707, also known as the Boeing SST (Supersonic Transport). It was designed to be significantly larger and faster than its competitors, aiming for a seating capacity of 250-300 passengers and cruising speeds of approximately Mach 3.

It was understood that breaking the sound barrier over populated areas would not be tolerated, so 39 square miles of remote swamp land was purchased halfway between Marco Island and Miami. The planned facility would have had six runways, a futuristic terminal, and would have been connected to the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico by high-speed rail lines and highways. The airport would have been five times the size of John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.

However, there was one major problem: it was situated in the fragile ecosystem that is the Everglades. Conservationists Dr. Luna Leopold, Arthur Marshall, and Manuel Morris collaborated on a report released in 1969 about the environmental impact the jetport would have. In short, the report suggested that the Everglades Jetport would “inexorably destroy the South Florida ecosystem and thus the Everglades National Park.” Alarmed by these findings, conservationists, activists, and hunters banded together. They successfully pressured the county to halt any further construction on the airport and to explore alternative locations for a new site.

Despite its ambitious design and initial popularity (receiving 122 orders from 26 airlines), the 2707 project was ultimately canceled due to a combination of factors, including environmental concerns (sonic boom), economic challenges, and technological hurdles. On May 20, 1971, federal government funding for the Boeing 2707 program was pulled following a vote in the House of Representatives before any prototypes were built, and it was the death knell for the Everglades Jetport.

With the cancellation of the 2707 program, all plans for a jetport were scrapped, leaving behind just one 10,500′ runway and a parallel taxiway, which was completed before construction stopped. The area surrounding the airfield is now the Big Cypress National Preserve, established on October 11, 1974, by President Gerald Ford as the nation’s first national preserve.

Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport

Years later, the Everglades Jetport was renamed to the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport and was heavily used by Pan Am and Eastern Airlines as a training airport, as the long runway could accommodate large aircraft, and its remoteness was perfect for executing touch-and-goes at any time of the day or night. It was also equipped with a relatively new instrument landing system, which allowed pilots to train for landing with low cloud ceilings and/or poor visibility. In the 1970s and ’80s, it was not unusual to see up to ten airliners, ranging from McDonnell Douglas DC-9s to giant Lockheed L-1011 TriStars, McDonnell Douglas DC-10s, and Boeing 747s, landing and taking off in a single day.

On February 2, 1979, an Eastern Air Lines DC-9-14 was destroyed in a non-fatal accident during a checkride. The flight involved a pilot undergoing evaluation before beginning line duties with the airline. During the takeoff roll, the FAA examiner reduced power on one engine to simulate an engine-out scenario. As a result, the left wing dropped abruptly, the crew lost control, and the aircraft struck the end of the runway in a level attitude. The pilot sustained only minor head injuries, but the aircraft suffered severe damage as the forward lower fuselage was torn open, and the cockpit was filled with mud. The 13-year-old jet was ultimately dismantled and written off by Eastern Air Lines.

Eastern Air Lines went bankrupt in 1991, and Pan Am did the same later that year. Today, the heavy-jet training business has largely declined due to bankruptcies and the increased utilization of advanced full-flight simulators.

Despite this, Dade-Collier remained in use by smaller flight schools, with thousands of flights recorded per year, although most of these were touch-and-goes. It also received some notable enhancements, including a runway overlay and lighting upgrade in 1992, costing $3.5 million, and taxiway rejuvenation in 1996, costing $100,000. 

At the end of the last decade, the runway was occasionally used for car races, as its long, straight stretch of asphalt allows vehicles to reach speeds of around 200 mph. In 2009, there were discussions about exploring for oil within the area, but the proposal was abandoned due to pressure from environmental groups.

In 2015, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Giménez proposed establishing a recurring international air show at Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, modeled after major events like the Paris and Farnborough Air Shows. Homestead Air Reserve Base was previously considered, but the idea was rejected by the U.S. military. During a fact-finding trip to France that year, Giménez outlined his vision for a four- to five-day event featuring 50 aircraft, attracting 50,000 industry professionals and up to 100,000 public attendees.

However, the proposal has stalled due to several challenges, including the lack of local accommodations, inadequate transportation infrastructure, and concerns over the potential environmental impact on the surrounding Everglades ecosystem. Opponents argue that such an event could open the door to further commercialization of the site. Giménez, meanwhile, maintains that all facilities, such as showrooms, chalets, catering, and support services, would be temporary and removed after each event, positioning the show as the only environmentally sustainable airshow of its kind.

Alligator Alcatraz

On June 19, 2025, Attorney General James Uthmeier publicly announced the establishment of a detention center, referring to it in a video as “Alligator Alcatraz.” While most of the public viewed this name as a joke, it was later adopted as the official title of the facility. Uthmeier described the location as having “the best natural perimeter money can’t buy,” arguing that the surrounding Everglades wildlife serves as a deterrent to potential escapees. Critics, however, have drawn comparisons between the facility and Auschwitz, as well as other Nazi concentration camps, with some even labeling it “Alligator Auschwitz.”

Governor DeSantis declared a “state of emergency” regarding immigration in 2023, allowing him to take control of the former Everglades Jetport and expedite construction without the typical procurement or environmental reviews. A coalition led by Friends of the Everglades, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians has protested its construction due to concerns that the project threatens endangered species habitat and violates both the National Environmental Policy Act and tribal cultural-resource protections.

On June 21, 2025, a team of private companies was assembled to construct a facility intended to detain 5,000 undocumented immigrants. The National Guard was deployed to secure the area. The Florida Division of Emergency Management is overseeing the center, which comprises tents and various facilities. The estimated annual cost for operating this facility is $450 million.

The first group of immigrant detainees arrived on July 3, 2025, marking the beginning of the facility’s operations. Some detainees have reported poor conditions at the facility, citing limited access to water, inadequate food, and restrictions on practicing their religion.