Tampa Airport receives budget approval for US$780m terminal

FESCH.TV INFORMIERT:

The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board of Directors has approved the Aviation Authority’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Capital and Operating Budget, which includes a new US$787.4m terminal at Tampa International Airport (TPA) in Florida.

The project, named Airside D, will be capable of handling an additional 13 million passengers by 2037. The building will be about 563,000ft2  with concessions space, an outdoor terrace, customs and security facilities, as well as screening, gate check-in and bag processing technologies. Airside D’s 16 gates will serve domestic and international flights, bringing TPA’s total gates to 72.

Construction is expected to start in 2024 and be completed in 2027. The Airside D project was originally supposed to begin in 2021 but was delayed due to Covid-19. The airport has reported that this will be the fifth airside terminal at TPA and the first new one in 17 years. It will be paid for with a mix of federal and state grants and airport-issued bonds.

The Airside D project is part of the airport’s capital program and is the third and final phase of TPA’s master plan. The master plan is a blueprint required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for development, which is aimed at decongesting airport facilities and enabling future growth. Phases 1 and 2 included several major projects including the main terminal redevelopment, rental car center, SkyConnect automated people mover (APM), roadway expansion, central utility plant, the Blue Express curbsides for passengers without checked luggage, and the new SkyCenter One office building.

Joe Lopano, CEO of TPA, said, “Airside D will help us continue our tradition of staying ahead of trends and our region’s growth. Our new terminal’s bright, open spaces will feature the latest in technology and convenience for our passengers and will deliver the 5-star travel experience for which TPA is known.”