Business magazine honors Naples Airport’s Justin Lobb with 40 Under 40 award
Gulfshore Business magazine has named Justin Lobb, deputy executive director for the Naples Airport Authority, as a 40 Under 40 honoree for 2026.
The publication’s 24th annual celebration of rising leaders across Southwest Florida highlights professionals who have distinguished themselves in their careers while also making meaningful contributions to the community through volunteerism, leadership and service. This year’s honorees represent multiple industries, including law, construction, health care, finance, home services, education, technology, hospitality, small business and the nonprofit sector.
“While each honoree has made an impression in their work, their leadership, volunteerism and support for nonprofit organizations have also made a noteworthy difference in making Southwest Florida a better place to live,” Gulfshore Business notes. Gulfshore Business is among Florida’s largest business magazines with a combined print and digital reach exceeding 270,000 people each month.
In his current role at Naples Airport (APF), Lobb is second-in-command for an airport that records 125,000+ flight operations per year and has an estimated annual economic impact of $781 million. He oversees Naples Aviation, the airport’s sole fixed-base operator (FBO), as well as airport operations, security, maintenance, planning and development activities at Naples Airport.
Under his leadership, Naples Airport has continued to demonstrate how aviation can be both a good neighbor and good stewards of the environment, recently securing FAA approval to modify flight paths to lessen ground noise while winning multiple environmental stewardship awards. Naples Aviation, the first FBO on the East Coast to publicly offer Sustainable Aviation Fuels, saw the use of alternative fuels spike from 1% of total fuel sales in 2024 to 19% in 2025.
“I’ve always had a passion for aviation, but what really drew me in was how dynamic airport management can be,” Lobb told the magazine. “General aviation airports like those in Collier County and Naples are unique in that you truly wear many hats. You’re involved in operations, safety, community relations, finance, planning and strategy potentially all in the same day.”
The full feature was published in the September issue and is available at GulfshoreBusiness.com/40-under-40.
For Lobb, the 40 Under 40 honor is the second time he’s been singled out as a rising leader. In 2021, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) selected Lobb as a Top 40 Under 40 award recipient.
In addition to his responsibilities at Naples Airport, Lobb is chair for Florida Airports Council’s General Aviation Committee, which addresses issues pertinent to managers of general aviation and community airports. He was among a contingent of Florida Airport leaders who traveled to Capitol Hill to advocate for federal priorities that will strengthen and elevate Florida’s airports. That trip earned Lobb a spot in his alma mater’s alumni magazine at Florida Institute of Technology, where he was featured among “Panthers on the Rise.” Lobb also has served on the U.S. Contract Tower Association Policy Board, which advocates for the FAA’s contract tower program that supports smaller, general aviation airports where federal workers do not staff air traffic control towers.
Locally, Lobb is a Leadership Collier graduate and has volunteered as a career mentor with Champions For Learning and Florida Gulf Coast University. He has served on the Collier Metropolitan Planning Organization Technical Advisory Committee, which is responsible for maintaining, controlling, developing and improving the transportation system throughout the region, as well as the Naples Airport Authority’s Noise Compatibility Committee, which reviews the airport’s robust noise abatement program. Lobb also helps coordinate and participate in numerous community events, including the Naples Airport Runway 5K/10K race, a partnership between the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Naples Chapter and Gulf Coast Runners.
Prior to joining Naples Airport in 2021, Lobb was executive manager for the Collier County Airport Authority and oversaw Marco Island Executive Airport, Immokalee Regional Airport and Everglades Airpark. Before he left, the Florida Department of Transportation estimated the trio of airports’ economic value at $70 million – a 30% growth rate in five years. He concluded his tenure there by celebrating the debut of a new $15 million terminal and apron at the Marco Airport, which opened as demand soared for private aviation during the pandemic. His previous roles include operations supervisor for Sanford Airport Authority, airport planning intern for AVCON, information technology assistant at Florida Institute of Technology and airport operations intern at Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority.
Lobb, a Pennsylvania native who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aviation management from Florida Institute of Technology and a Master of Business Administration degree at Florida Gulf Coast University, is a Certified Member (CM) through the American Association of Airport Executives and Certified Public Manager (CPM) through the Florida Institute of Government.
About Naples Airport
The Naples Airport is a vital community asset that provides convenient access to the City of Naples and Collier County for residents and visitors alike. The airport is also home to critical public services, including the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Collier Mosquito Control District, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Fire Station 3 and Collier County EMS MedFlight. It also serves as a staging hub for recovery operations during emergencies. The airport’s tenants include private and corporate aviation, air charter, aircraft maintenance and repair services, car rental brands and flight schools. Naples Airport Authority (NAA), an independent government agency that operates Naples Airport, receives no local tax dollars; it is primarily funded through fuel sales, hangar rentals and other related services. The Florida Department of Transportation has estimated Naples Airport’s annual economic impact at $781 million. The NAA strives to balance the needs of the aviation community and residents’ quality of life through a variety of initiatives, including its Fly Safe Fly Quiet program. Visit FlyNaples.com for more information.
