Tampa Airport Takes Off Following Pandemic; Celebrates 50 Years

TAMPA, FL — Only a year ago, fewer than 1,500 passengers passed through Tampa International Airport. It was the lowest point in the longest sustained air travel drop in airport history.

Global fear of COVID-19 was at its peak. Planes sat empty and airport businesses were closed.

It’s been a year-long bumpy road to recovery but officials at Tampa International Airport said traveler confidence is on the rise and air travel is making a comeback.

More than 1.4 million passengers traveled through TPA in March – an average of more than 50,000 passengers per day. April is looking even stronger. Over Easter weekend, the airport saw an average of 60,000 passengers per day.

While the figures still fall short of the 80,000 per day during spring break in 2019, TPA is slightly ahead of 2021 projections.

“We’re cautiously optimistic,” said TPA CEO Joe Lopano. “We want to see business return, and we want to see it return safely. We still have a long way to go with COVID-19 recovery, particularly in other parts of the world, before we see a true sense of normalcy. But by all of us continuing our efforts to keep air travel safe – along with widespread availability of vaccines – we’re on the right track.”

While planes may have remained grounded during the pandemic, activity at the airport was in full swing as the airport continued its historic three-phase $971 million expansion project approved by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority in 2013.

The ambitious master plan includes construction of the SkyConnect automated people mover system connecting the terminal to a state-of-the-art rental car center, the SkyCenter commercial office complex, a 16-gate Airside D, a new, enclosed long-term garage walkway to the main terminal and the express curbside project featuring eight new express lanes connected directly to a vertical circulation building that transports guests between their cars and the third-floor transfer level. The latter innovation allows departing guests to skip the ticketing level and arriving passengers to bypass the arrivals level.

The airport also completed convenience and safety amenities including the installation of touchless E-gate boarding pass scanners at all four shuttle entrances, water bottle-filling stations and airside terminal pet relief areas.

TPA also became the first airport in the country to offer 5G mobile speeds across the nation's three major cellular carriers, just ahead of service as the host airport for Super Bowl LV in February. And it recently launched a new online booking system for parking and TPA to Go, an airport restaurant delivery service.

While TPA’s traffic projections and the timing of its returning international routes remain uncertain, recent developments give a glimmer of hope.

Southwest Airlines recently announced it would bring back 2,700 flight attendants and 209 pilots in preparation for the summer travel season. The United Airlines route to San Francisco resumes June 3; Southwest Airlines is launching a Salt Lake City route on June 12; Spirit Airlines will begin direct trips to Kansas City on June 9; and Silver Airways began nonstop routes to Savannah, Georgia, April 2.

This all comes as the airport celebrates its 50th anniversary.

With a price tag of $80 million, the Tampa International Airport featuring the first automated people movers to take passengers from the terminal to the plane gates, and a cutting-edge design, officially opened on April 15, 1971.

"This building has been the source of countless special memories," said Lopano. "I'm proud to say that, after all these years, we're better and stronger than ever, and it's all because of our incredible team and the support of our passengers and community."

"Tampa International Airport has been a crown jewel of our region for 50 years, and we look forward to building on that legacy for decades to come," said Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Chairman Gary Harrod. "We very much enjoy our roles as stewards of this great Tampa Bay institution, and we are grateful to our team and passengers who make it one of America's finest airports."

Today, Tampa International Airport is the 27th busiest airport in the country, accommodating nearly 11 million passengers in 2019. Additionally, it's been named No. 4 on Travel & Leisure's 10 Best Domestic Airports and No. 9 on VacationIdea's list of the 25 best airports in the U.S.

To learn more about TPA’s history, visit the interactive timeline.

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