Just a couple of months after Airside D’s structural steel started going up, crews are working around the clock creating some truly concrete results across the worksite.

Concrete platforms inside the steel framework have begun appearing on all levels of the building. The concrete is placed onto metal decking that has been reinforced with steel rebar on each floor.

The structural steel has now moved onto the sixth of 19 separate assembly sequences. A second crane was brought onsite in mid-July to help move the more than 7,300 steel members that will comprise the new Airside terminal.

Meanwhile, more workers have completed the building’s foundation and have been placing concrete for the rest of Airside D’s ground floor and the apron for aircraft across the worksite. Much of that work has been done overnight to mitigate risk and take advantage of cooler temperatures, which allow for better quality control for the concrete.

The existing apron is being demolished panel by panel and crushed onsite to be recycled into the properly sized aggregate (think different sizes of gravel) as that is used as six inches of underlayment for the new concrete.

The ground floor slab-on-grade of Airside D is eight inches of concrete placed over this recycled aggregate while the apron concrete, which needs to withstand the pressure from aircraft that can weigh several hundred tons, is 18 inches thick. When the project is completed, workers will end up placing almost 85,000 cubic yards of concrete for the apron alone.

The dry weather earlier this summer has kept all the work on schedule, with no major disruptions so far.

Other parts of the project that have reached milestones lately:

• The final steel and concrete guideway beams for the future Airside shuttles have been placed across the support piers to the steel supports for the shuttle station. Workers are now creating running surfaces for the shuttles and infrastructure for the baggage delivery system.
   
• Water and sewage pipes are being buried across the worksite with plans for connecting to city water later this year.
   
• Elevators and escalators are being fabricated for eventual installation across the building.
   
• A slightly new route for Bessie Coleman Boulevard is being cleared to connect the road with the future Airside D truck court underneath the shuttle guideway.
   
• Precast concrete panels to sheath the outside of the building are scheduled to be installed in September.

TPA broke ground on Airside D in December 2024, with the building scheduled to be open to the public in 2029. The design-build team for the project is led by construction company Hensel Phelps, with architecture and engineering company HNTB Corporation, in association with Gensler.

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These sessions are designed to engage with community members, local entrepreneurs and business owners interested in learning more about what’s happening at TPA, including future Concessions opportunities tied to the upcoming Airside D and beyond.

Each event will provide an overview of TPA’s Concessions Redevelopment Program, highlight how these future developments support the region’s economic growth, and provide insight into upcoming business opportunities for retailers, restaurants, service providers, and others eager to be part of TPA’s next chapter.

The first community Concessions Redevelopment Information Session will be held Thursday, June 18, at 6 p.m. in the Community Room of the Town 'N Country Regional Library in Tampa.

The second session will take place Thursday, July 9, at 4 p.m. at the Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library in Ybor City.

There is no cost to attend or registration necessary. Additional sessions will be announced in the coming weeks and posted on the TPA Concessions website.

“Tampa International Airport’s Concessions program is built on strong partnerships with local and national businesses,” said Laurie Noyes, TPA’s Vice President of Concessions and Commercial Parking. “We’re excited to bring these conversations directly into the community and share what’s ahead.”

Each session will include a short presentation, followed by discussion. For more information on TPA’s Concessions, please visit: https://www.tampaairport.com/tpaconcessions

Tampa International Airport’s Airside D construction is now going to great lengths to the northwest of the Main Terminal, with shuttle guideway supports spanning as much as 160 feet being installed this week.

Crews from contractor Middlesex Corporation this week have been working overnight to begin installing the bridge superstructure between the new Airside D shuttle station in the Main Terminal and the construction site.

The first steel girders for the future guideway and concrete girders for the walkway between the shuttles have been lifted onto support piers and now span the George J. Bean Parkway. The steel girders, which were lifted together in pairs, weigh up to 80 tons, while the concrete girders weigh as much as 70 tons.

A concrete deck will later be added atop the center girders to form the emergency walkway and to cover two baggage conveyors that will deliver checked bags to the aircraft at Airside D.

Airside D will use the same type of automated shuttles that are currently being installed at Airsides A, C, and E. The steel girders on the outside of the walkway will be fitted with concrete decks, serving as the foundation for poured concrete running surfaces that will function as tracks for the shuttle cars on the guideway.

Structural steel installation to build the framework for Airside D began last month.

The guideway girder installation required overnight closures of the parkway as a pair of cranes lifted the spans into place. People driving to the Red Side of the Main Terminal will be detoured through Blue Side lanes and around the building. Please allow extra time if you plan to visit TPA on these nights and follow detour instructions. 

Travelers and workers who need to reach the Airport Marriott, the Air Traffic Control Tower or the Airport Employee Bus will have marked temporary routes to follow, as well. 

Construction crews will need more time to put up the supports south of the Parkway, necessitating another closure for the service road behind the Airport Marriott from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. the nights on June 12, 15, 16 and 17. 

In case of inclement weather, make-up days will be June 18, 19, 22, and 23.

Future closures will be necessary as other elements of the guideway bridge such as the concrete decks and running surfaces are installed.

For more information about the 16-gate Airside D, which is scheduled to open in 2029, please visit AirsideD.com.

Please click on an image or the video of the installation below to enlarge or download it:

People driving to Tampa International Airport this week will need to be aware of some late-night traffic changes coming to the George J. Bean Parkway.

Work crews will be lifting concrete and steel supports into place over the Parkway from midnight to 4 a.m. on the nights of June 9, 10, and  11.  An overnight closure of the Parkway will be necessary to enable installation of structural supports for the shuttle guideway from the Main Terminal to the future Airside D on the Airfield across the street. 

In case of inclement weather, make-up days will be June 12, 15 and 16. 

People driving to the Red Side of the Main Terminal will be detoured through Blue Side lanes and around the building. Please allow extra time if you plan to visit TPA on these nights and follow detour instructions. 

Travelers and workers who need to reach the Airport Marriott, the Air Traffic Control Tower or the Airport Employee Bus will have marked temporary routes to follow, as well. 

Construction crews will need more time to put up the supports south of the Parkway, necessitating another closure for the service road behind the Airport Marriott from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. the nights on June 12, 15, 16 and 17. 

In case of inclement weather, make-up days will be June 18, 19, 22, and 23.

The shuttle guideway will eventually support automated shuttle cars like the vehicles currently being commissioned at Airsides A, C, and E. Structural steel to build the framework for Airside D began installation last month.

For more information about the 16-gate Airside D, which is scheduled to open in 2029, please visit AirsideD.com.

Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board members on Thursday approved a short list of artists selected to create proposals for public art installations in Airside D and other locations around Tampa International Airport.

The 50 artists who are advancing were selected from among 1,049 portfolio submissions in response to the Airport’s Call for Artists that was issued on February 5.  As part of the Public Art procurement, TPA will commission installations for six locations in Airside D, which is scheduled to open in 2029, and one each in the new Airside A and E security screening checkpoints.

The Call for Artists was expanded to include two more installations on the Main Terminal’s second-floor Ticketing Level, which is scheduled to begin renovations in 2027 to modernize the ticket counters and provide more space for travelers.

Of the artists who submitted portfolios, 13 percent came from outside the United States. Florida was the state with the highest number of respondents, with 189 artist submissions. Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, West Palm Beach, and Miami topped the list of cities in Florida from which artists hailed.

Florida was followed by New York, California, Texas, Colorado, Washington, Illinois and Georgia as the states with the most artists vying for a spot.

The portfolio submissions underwent a review process over several days by an evaluation committee that included Tampa Bay art community leaders and Airport officials. The committee judged the portfolios and then recommended to the Board three primary artists and two alternates for each of the 10 locations.

Following Thursday’s Board approval, the primary artists will each develop site-specific proposals for their installations for the Public Art Committee. These examples can be paintings, sculptures, drawings, collages or other forms of art to demonstrate the artists’ detailed concept.

The artists will present their formal proposals to the Committee at the end of the summer ahead of a final artist selection by the Board in the fall.

The selected artists will be responsible for the development, production, delivery, installation and all travel costs associated with their work.

For more information about the process and the approved short list with both primary and alternate artists, including the location they were invited to work on and how their artwork will be displayed, please visit the schedule on our Call for Artists web page here.

Photo: Janaina Tschape's On memory and plants, in the Red Express Curbsides addition that opened last year, is an example from TPA's Public Art Collection.

Tampa International Airport’s Airside D is now heading skyward with a big helping hand from a new construction crane that is assisting workers with assembling the massive steel frame of the building.

The crane, with a lifting capacity of 300 tons, was assembled onsite this month and began lifting steel into place this week. It’s the beginning of a nine-month-long process to create the bones of the future 16-gate Airside.

Workers will be moving more than 7,300 steel members weighing a cumulative 6,200 tons as they are delivered to the construction site. The crane will lift the members into position one at a time to be secured in place by workers.

The assembly will be done in a series of 19 sequences that will allow the crane to move into position and build a specific portion of the building's frame before moving to the next part of the structure. A 20th sequence will build Airside D's cooling towers.

The work to erect the steel will involve more than 96,000 bolts and over 212,000 inches of welding. The buildout will continue as the framing is completed, with a second crane coming later this year to help.

GMF Steel Group, based in Lakeland, is fabricating the steel beams and columns that were first cast by steel suppliers, mostly from recycled steel scrap. GMF prepares the steel for installation by cutting it to the proper length, adding holes and welding on connections before delivering it to the construction site to be erected for the framework.

TPA broke ground on Airside D in December 2024, with construction scheduled to be open to the public in 2029. The design-build team for the project is led by construction company Hensel Phelps, with architecture and engineering company HNTB Corporation, in association with Gensler.

To sign up for TPA’s Airside D monthly newsletter and get more information about future business opportunities, click here.

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The first vertical elements of Tampa International Airport’s future Airside D are beginning to appear this month as work crews have been assembling the building’s concrete elevator cores.

Six precast concrete cores forming shafts for 11 of Airside D’s 15 elevators – for passenger, cargo and service functions – are being put into place on the worksite, comprising some very visible and very important components of the $1.528 billion project.

These elevator cores will be the main arteries of movement between the main floor’s aircraft gates and passenger facilities, the ground-level U.S. Customs facility and the Mezzanine level that will house the Delta Sky Club and a common-use lounge.

Four more elevators will be built within the Airside’s second-floor steel framing, which is scheduled to start being erected in May.

The completed precast concrete towers range in height from 36 to 63 feet tall, with walls weighing as much as 49,000 pounds. The eight-inch-thick concrete panels that comprise the cores are made by Coreslab Structures and were cast at their facility in Tampa.

A crane lifts the panels into their positions atop existing concrete pits, where workers weld the panels to the foundations and to each other using dozens of steel clips at integrated points. Each core is then covered with a concrete cap that is secured at the top of the completed shaft, which will eventually house elevator cars and their operating machinery.

Also visible on the worksite are the beginnings of the shuttle platform supports to connect the 600,000-square-foot Airside D to TPA’s Main Terminal, as well as 310 foundation pads that will anchor support columns for the entire building. Crews last month were able to run and bury long spans of electrical & telecommunication conduits known as duct banks that will distribute the power throughout the building from what will be the Main Electric Room.

TPA broke ground on Airside D in December 2024, with construction scheduled to be completed by 2028 and be open to the public in 2029. The design-build team for the project is led by construction company Hensel Phelps, with Architecture and Engineering company HNTB Corporation, in association with Gensler.

To sign up for TPA’s Airside D monthly newsletter and get more information about future business opportunities, click here.

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Board members greenlit the 100 percent design stage for the project, a state-of-the-art, 16-gate international and domestic gateway to Tampa Bay that will cost an estimated $1.528 billion. The Board also approved a $902 million supplemental contract for the Airside D project during the meeting.

Construction is scheduled to go vertical this year and be completed in late 2028, with the building opening to the public in 2029.

“Airside D is more than a new terminal; it is a bold vision for the future of travel in Tampa Bay. Thanks to the dedication and collaboration of our TPA team and partners, we’re setting a new standard for innovation, service, and hospitality in our region,” Airport CEO Michael Stephens said. “Once complete, Airside D will serve as Tampa Bay’s international gateway, welcoming the world with the world-class experience our guests expect from TPA.”

Airside D will help TPA, which currently serves about 25 million passengers per year, accommodate the region’s growth and serve up to 35 million annual passengers by 2037.

TPA released a final round of interior and exterior renderings and a brand-new animation for Airside D that illustrate an open and airy interior with soaring ceilings and lots of natural light, highlighting the beauty of the Tampa Bay region. The building will be 600,000 square feet, making it the largest Airside at TPA.

The renderings show several newly added design features of Airside D, including a special tribute to former Airport CEO Joe Lopano, who retired last April. A quote from Lopano mounted to the wall will greet visitors with a message reading, “We set our sights on a grand future because we have the ability to think big and achieve greatness. We owe it to our predecessors on whose shoulders we stand.”

The final design incorporates feedback from travelers that was gathered during a series of listening sessions TPA hosted last summer in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties. Those events drew community members and airport officials together to determine what guests wanted to see during their Airside D experience. Among the features added as a result of these discussions:

• More power outlets to ensure better availability
• More plants and greenery to create a relaxing environment
• A dedicated play area to entertain children
• A quiet room to help travelers deal with potential sensory overload

“From the beginning, the guiding principle behind Airside D has been a singular focus on delivering the very best amenities and travel experience to the millions of passengers who visit TPA each year,” TPA Chief Development Officer Smitha Radhakrishnan said. “Thoughtful and functional design, leading-edge technology, unmatched convenience and a sense of calm all come together in a facility shaped not just by expertise, but by the collective vision of our entire community.”

The final design includes previously released features, including:

• Cutting-edge shuttles that match the new models being installed at Airsides A, C and E
• A modern TSA security screening checkpoint
• A ground-level inspection facility for travelers arriving on international flights
• A mezzanine level with both a brand-new Delta Sky Club and a common-use lounge
• Innovative and dynamic media features that display moving images and animation
• Glass boarding bridges to allow scenic views of the airfield as passengers board and exit aircraft
• Shopping and dining locations at the center of the Airside and in hold rooms, with 360-degree views of the gates

The images are courtesy of the design-build team for the project, led by construction company Hensel Phelps, with Architecture and Engineering company HNTB Corporation, in association with Gensler.

In other business Thursday, the Board selected Austin Industries, Inc. as the design-builder for an expansion of the Main Terminal’s Ticketing Level. The Ticketing Level project will modernize the second floor, adding 28 new counter locations, relocating airline office space to a new and centralized 30,000-square-foot space, renovating the 135,000-square-foot floor to improve queueing and circulation while incorporating the latest technology. Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2029.

The Aviation Authority further announced the launch of a Call for Artists to expand the Airport’s renowned Public Art collection with eight new commissions to be installed across Airport facilities.

Between now and March 19, artists can apply to be considered for a chance to create one of the installations, six of which will be in Airside D, and one each in the two newly expanded security screening checkpoints in Airsides A and E, which opened in 2025.

More information, including more specifics on submission requirements and an FAQ, is available on the TPA Call for Artists page.

Airside D will also feature more than 10 food and retail units as part of an Airport-wide, multi-phase Concessions Redevelopment Program that will launch in the next year. More details about future solicitation opportunities with TPA’s Concessions Department are available here.

TPA broke ground on Airside D in December 2024 and has been prepping the site for major construction by removing concrete, installing secure fencing and establishing contractor offices, among other enabling work. The concrete that was removed was recycled to help prepare the site for construction. Workers have been building the foundations of the Airside to prepare for structural steel framing to begin this summer.

To sign up for TPA’s Airside D monthly newsletter and get more information about future business opportunities, click here.

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Tampa International Airport is expanding its world-renowned Public Art Program, preparing to issue a Call for Artists to create commissions for eight new locations across Airport facilities.

Starting Feb. 5, 2026, artists or artist teams will be invited to send in samples of their work so they can be considered for a chance to create one of the installations.

Six of the locations will be in TPA’s forthcoming Airside D, the new 16-gate international and domestic Airside currently under construction at the Airport. One new installation will be designated for each of the two newly expanded security screening checkpoints in Airsides A and E, which opened in 2025.

The Call for Artists is open to visual artists working in any medium with experience executing their ideas from concept to installation completion, meeting a specified budget and timeframe, and working in the public realm with public agencies.

Entries will be accepted on the artist platform CaFÉ, which can be accessed here. The Call for Artists opens on Feb. 5 and closes on March 19.

“Tampa International Airport is growing its award-winning art collection by seeking the participation of local, state, national and international artists,” Chief Commercial Officer Chris Minner said. “The new works of art will be original, creative, and help us welcome the tens of millions of travelers TPA hosts each year.”

The total budget allocated for this Call for Artists is $5 million in Airside D as part of Phase 3 of the Master Plan. The budget for public art inside the security screening checkpoints in Airsides A and E is a combined $820,000. Commissions include artists’ design fees, materials, fabrication, artist travel and final installation, including necessary sub-contracted costs.

The Call for Artists process has two phases: During the first phase, a Technical Evaluation Committee will conduct a review of all CaFÈ-submitted applications and will develop a short list of Qualified Artists.

During the second phase, the Airport Public Art Committee will invite artists from the group of Qualified Artists to submit a proposal. The proposal will include a $4,000 stipend to each invited artist or artist team to allow them to develop 3-D views, a maquette, and photographs of a model or other representation to clearly communicate their concept and design intent.

The Public Art Committee will evaluate the proposals and select one finalist for each opportunity. Each finalist will be presented to the board for final approval and contract award.

In recent years, TPA has completed 16 new public art installations, including a world-famous 21-foot pink flamingo sculpture in the Main Terminal popularly known as Phoebe. 

A wide range of forms and media for the artwork will be considered for the new commissions, including freestanding sculpture, wall-mounted or ceiling-hung art, technology-based art and possibly functional elements.

Artists or teams of artists looking to submit to the Call for Artists must confirm that they have completed a commission or sold one piece of artwork for at a minimum of $15,000.

More information, including more specifics on submission requirements and an FAQ, is available on the TPA Call for Artists page .

Artists with questions about the process and TPA’s Public Art Program should contact Senior Procurement Agent Rayesha Cotton at rcotton@tampaairport.com .

The new year will kick off some construction projects and bring some new features to the travel experience at Tampa International Airport. 

From upgrades that will modernize how you move through TPA to very visible progress on Airside D, an entirely new and modern Airside terminal,  2026 heralds some key upgrades to our campus. 

Here's a look at some of the new construction projects and amenities you'll notice across the Airport in 2026.

Airside D

The final design for TPA's state-of-the-art, 16-gate Airside terminal for international and domestic flights will be revealed in the coming weeks. There have been a few tweaks and adjustments throughout the past year, but the final design is almost ready for prime time. Construction to the northwest of the Airport's Main Terminal has so far been focused on enabling work, foundations and drainage, but you can expect to see structural steel beams starting to come up from the ground later this year. 

Shuttle replacements

The shuttles from the Main Terminal to Airsides A, C and E are being replaced with completely modern third-generation models. These are the latest and greatest versions featuring completely redesigned cars and new operating software and switchgear from the very same Pittsburgh-area company that designed and manufactured the first two generations. Expect to see new Blue shuttles in operation at A and C shortly, allowing their Red counterparts to be swapped out next. All Blue and Red shuttles at the three Airsides are scheduled to be replaced this year.

Call for Artists

TPA's famous Public Art Program just added a few new pieces with the Red Express Curbsides opening in 2025, but the collection is due to expand again. Several installations are earmarked inside Airside D, but also our expanded Security Screening Checkpoints in Airsides A and E, which also opened last year. A Call for Artists is coming in February to kick off the search for talented people to submit proposals for the available spaces. To learn more, go to our Call for Artists landing page.

Airside E reroofing

A brand-new security screening checkpoint opened at Airside E last year, adding almost 20,000 square feet of space to the building, but the rest of the structure is now due to get a new metal roof and gutters. Travelers will notice metal scaffolding going up around parts of the building over the next couple of months. The roof is original to the building, which opened in 2002, and will be replaced in phases. There shouldn't be any significant interruptions to travelers during the work, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027.

Ticketing Level changes

TPA's modern, easy-to-navigate facilities are getting another upgrade! Our Ticketing Level on the second floor of our Main Terminal, which includes ticket counters and offices for our airline partners, is going to get a thorough renovation in the coming years.  The way people travel has changed a lot since the Airport opened in 1971, so we're planning to move and consolidate office spaces, expand the number of ticket counters and check-in kiosks and provide more room for our travelers as they prepare for their flights. The redesigned space will also tie into a new, consolidated baggage processing system that will serve all our Airsides in the future. While it will take some time for the public to see this project start construction, the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority is scheduled to select the design-builder soon, with design work commencing later this year. Stay tuned!

Construction work for Tampa International Airport’s Airside D is going down – way down – before it can go up next year.

Workers are currently driving what are known as ductile iron pilings deep into the ground in the northwest corner of TPA’s airfield as part of the Airside terminal’s foundations.

The technique involves hammering almost 1,500 iron pipes between 4.65 and 6.5 inches wide into the ground an average of 40 to 50 feet to limestone bedrock. This improves the soil friction and creates a firm base for the foundation.

Some of the pipes are spaced into groups of three to five pipes at regular intervals and then filled with a concrete-like grout mixture before being capped with concrete pads that will support the building. Other pipes are arranged to undergo a similar process but will support a stem wall along the Airside’s perimeter.

Each individual pipe is designed to support an average of 5,000 pounds per square foot, although some support as much as 8,000 pounds each.

The foundation work began earlier this month and is scheduled to be completed in late December, with under-drainage system installation now underway. Several other projects that will enable construction of the project, including secure fencing, access roads and an office trailer complex, have been completed.

The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board approved a $92 million supplemental contract in October that includes funding for structural steel, metal decking and precast concrete, which will be visible as the building goes vertical as soon as mid-2026. 

At approximately 600,000 square feet, Airside D will be the largest Airside at TPA when it’s completed. The project has a preliminary cost of $1.5 billion, with construction currently scheduled to be completed in late 2028. A final design for the project is expected soon from the design-build team for the project, which is led by construction company Hensel Phelps, with Architecture and Engineering company HNTB Corporation, in association with Gensler.

The new Airside D is being built in the same spot as the original Airside D, which closed and was demolished in 2007.

The Airside terminal is a centerpiece project of Phase 3 of TPA’s Master Plan, a blueprint for how the Airport will deal with projected traveler growth. The Airside will help TPA, which currently serves an estimated 25 million passengers annually, handle up to 35 million annual passengers by 2037. The project's official groundbreaking was in December 2024.

To sign up for the new Airside D monthly newsletter and get more information about future business opportunities, click here.

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Tampa International Airport officials on Thursday shared information with about 125 concessionaires, business owners and representatives so they could learn about new opportunities coming to TPA and its Concessions program at the future Airside D and beyond.

The public information session in the Main Terminal, called Concessions 101, included a presentation reviewing the Concessions program for retailers and restaurants, how to find and take part in solicitations at the Airport, registering for and using TPA’s Procurement Portal, the Small Business Enterprise Program, plus a general overview of the Tampa Bay region and market.

TPA Vice President of Concessions and Commercial Parking Laurie Noyes opened the presentation featuring several department heads and shared how to get involved with the Airport’s Concessions program.

“Our award-winning Concessions program currently gives our guests premium shopping and dining options that support and enhance the traveling experience at TPA,” she said. “We are working now to inform and educate interested vendors and community members in order to expand upon that tradition as we continue to plan for the Airport’s projected growth.”

Business owners from across the region and the country attended the session, with some registered guests coming from as far away as California and Canada.

Concessions 101 was the second in a series of information sessions about business opportunities at the Airport. The first session, “Doing Business With TPA,” was in March and focused mostly on Airside D, a state-of-the-art, 16-gate Airside terminal for international and domestic routes.

Future information sessions with more specifics about solicitations will be held in 2026. Dates for those sessions will be announced in the future.

To be notified of the next public information sessions, check our Concessions information page, which also hosts a link to the Concessions 101 presentation.

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Construction is progressing steadily on Tampa International Airport’s highly anticipated Airside D project, with crews quite literally paving the way to the work site.

Before any vertical construction can begin, major enabling work has transformed the future home of the building, which will be TPA’s first new Airside terminal in nearly 20 years. Fencing has gone up around the construction zone and there’s a new office complex for contractors working on the project, with a road connecting the two.

The site where Airside D is being built previously served as overnight parking for aircraft and was known as Hardstand D. The new fencing separates the site from the secured TPA airfield and will make it easier for workers to access the construction zone safely. Special identification badges will allow workers to enter the site, but not the aircraft operations area.

To support the construction team, crews have built an 11-acre contractor complex off Hoover Boulevard, just north of taxiways A and B. This area includes eight trailers with full utility hookups for water and electricity and has a 410-space parking lot, with room to expand as the project progresses.

Workers will be able to report to work at the complex, then reach the worksite on a road that connects the office trailers and parking lot to the construction site. The two-lane road is more than half a mile long and has an accompanying sidewalk.

The new fencing closed a portion of Bessie Coleman Boulevard so workers may more easily access fuel lines and remove an existing tunnel, and to separate the public and Airport traffic from the worksite. A short cutover roadway has been added west of the fenced area, connecting the George J. Bean Parkway to Bessie Coleman Boulevard just beyond the construction site. The detour helps maintain access for deliveries and employees traveling to Airsides E and F.

Over the summer, crews began cutting into the existing aircraft apron to make way for the foundations of the building. Instead of just hauling the concrete away, a more sustainable and efficient solution was to crush all of it into smaller pieces onsite to reuse it as the underlayment beneath the Airside D foundation, the new road and the contractor complex.

Under-drainage system installation is now underway, with building foundation work expected to begin in early November. Earlier this month, the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board approved a $92 million supplemental contract that includes funding for structural steel, metal decking and precast concrete components. These elements are expected to be visible as the building goes vertical as soon as the middle of 2026. 

At approximately 600,000 square feet, Airside D will be the largest Airside at TPA when it’s completed. The project has a preliminary cost of $1.5 billion, with construction currently scheduled to be completed in late 2028. A final design for the project is expected soon from the design-build team for the project, which is led by construction company Hensel Phelps, with Architecture and Engineering company HNTB Corporation, in association with Gensler.

The facility is being built to the northwest of TPA’s Main Terminal, in space that once was the home of the original Airside D, which existed when the Airport opened in 1971. That outdated facility was closed and demolished in 2007.

The new Airside D is a centerpiece project of Phase 3 of TPA’s Master Plan, a blueprint for how the Airport will deal with projected traveler growth. The Airside will help TPA, which currently serves an estimated 25 million passengers annually, handle up to 35 million annual passengers by 2037. The project's official groundbreaking was in December 2024.

To sign up for the new Airside D monthly newsletter and get more information about future business opportunities, click here.

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Tampa International Airport welcomed some big changes to its Red Side on Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of its new Red Express Curbsides. 

Community partners joined Airport officials to mark the opening this week of the building and traffic lanes, which are on the north side of the Airport's Main Terminal building. While crews are finishing some minor work on the area this month, the Red Express building will open to the traveling public at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12. 

The new Curbs mirror TPA's award-winning Blue Express Curbsides and allow travelers who are not checking bags and have electronic boarding passes to skip the Ticketing level when departing and the Baggage Claim level when arriving. This innovative feature was a first-of-its-kind experience at a U.S. airport when the Blue Express Curbsides first opened in November 2021, and has proven popular with TPA's travelers.

"Less than four years after the Blue Express curbs opened, we see that about half of our guests flying on Blue Side airlines use them," Airport CEO Michael Stephens said. “Now we will be offering the same innovation and efficiency to our travelers on the Red Side, with this bright, clean and thoroughly modern building.”  

The Red Express project includes four additional Arrivals lanes and four additional Departures lanes to ease traffic congestion, doubling the number of Express lanes from eight to 16. The Red Express Curbs will serve passengers using airlines on the the Airport's Red Side. These include Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Avelo Airlines, Breeze Airways, British Airways, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss Air, Frontier, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines and WestJet.

The Curbs are part of an expansion that adds more than 65,000 square feet of space to the facility, including a larger transfer level on the third floor of the Main Terminal and a shuttle lobby for the future Airside D. The new space includes dynamic public art installations by renowned artists Claudia Comte, Jason Bruges and Janaina Tschape. Construction on the Red Side first required the removal of the Airport’s 1970s-era Administration Building before adding the new lanes and building.

Signage around the Airport will now include Red Express to direct drivers to choose either the Express lanes or standard, full-service lanes when dropping off or picking up. Travelers using ride-sharing services like Uber or Lyft can choose Red Express as a pick-up or drop-off point in addition to the Blue Express, depending on their location. 

“The thought that has gone into this project, not just from the design standpoint but from the concept of the Express Curbs, going back to the planning stages, is just amazing," TPA Chief Development Officer Smitha Radhakrishnan said. “All you have to do is look around and you see the impeccable execution of that very concept, and to realize that our passengers are going to use this amenity and appreciate it for decades to come.”

The completion of this project marks the end of construction for Phase 2 of the Airport’s three-phase Master Plan, a blueprint for managing growth at TPA that was conceived in 2012. Other Phase 2 projects that have been completed include the Airport’s new Central Utility Plant and SkyCenter One office complex.  

Phase 3 is the construction of the 16-gate Airside D, which broke ground in December and is scheduled to open to the public in late 2028.

The project encompassing the Red Express building and its traffic lanes, an expanded walkway to the Airport Marriott hotel and the shuttle station cost $109 million. Hensel Phelps and HNTB are the design-build team for both the Red and Blue Express Curbsides, and are also the design-builders for Airside D.

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Seasoned travelers from across Tampa Bay brought their very best ideas for Airside D to a series of three public listening sessions that Tampa International Airport hosted during the month of July.

The Airport conducted meetings at locations in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties to ask the community for thoughts on what they’d like to experience in TPA’s first new Airside in nearly 20 years.

Dozens of people attended each meeting and shared suggestions ranging from the practical (more charging stations and cupholders) to the dazzling (a rainwater-fed waterfall cascading from the rooftop).

Each session included a presentation about the current progress on the $1.5 billion Airside D project and an interactive program conducted by community partners Collaborative Labs at St. Petersburg College. The sessions were free to attend and asked participants a series of questions designed to elicit creative feedback, resulting in lively small-group discussions among residents and TPA employees and generating hundreds of comments.

Among the many suggestions:

• A lush tropical garden with ponds full of native plants and fish
• Sleeping pods or nap rooms for weary travelers
• A quiet space to get away from sensory overload
• Interactive stations with travel information and directions
• Exhibits highlighting local artists, historical figures and sports teams
• Building with sustainable materials and relying on renewable energy

TPA’s Airside D Steering Committee, a group of Airport employees from across departments who have been using their expertise to make decisions about how the project will proceed, were in attendance at each meeting to help collect comments. They will review the ideas for the project, which is currently at the 60 percent design stage.

“It’s heartwarming to see so many engaged residents of Tampa Bay come out and join in the discussion about their hometown Airport,” said TPA Chief Development Officer Smitha Radhakrishnan, who presented each of the three events. “We wanted to see what people were looking to experience at Airside D, because they will be the ones using it, and the community did not disappoint. We will be reviewing their wonderful feedback closely.”

While not all the proposals can be implemented, the feedback will help inform the design process, which is scheduled to be finalized this December.

Airside D will be a state-of-the-art, 16-gate Airside terminal for international and domestic routes. The project is led by construction company Hensel Phelps, with Architecture and Engineering company HNTB Corporation, in association with Gensler. The design is currently scheduled to be finalized by the end of 2025, with Airside D scheduled to be open to the public in 2028.

For more information, check AirsideD.com and sign up for our monthly Airside D newsletter.

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Tampa International Airport welcomed members of the community on Wednesday evening for the first of three public listening sessions to ask people what they’d like to see as part of the traveling experience at Airside D.

About 50 people attended the meeting in the Airport’s Main Terminal, which included a presentation about the current progress on the $1.5 billion Airside D project and an interactive program conducted by community partners Collaborative Labs at St. Petersburg College.

TPA’s Chief Development Officer Smitha Radhakrishnan opened the evening by telling the audience the Airport was holding the meetings because public input was important to the success of the project, TPA’s first new Airside in nearly 20 years.

“Our aim tonight is to have an open and wide-ranging discussion with all of you, to hear what you have to say about the best way to provide that signature TPA experience to future travelers,” Radhakrishnan said.

Collaborative Labs then directed the audience through a technology-driven set of questions designed to gather responses about features attendees thought would be ideal for Airside D. 

Using small-group discussions, participants generated dozens of suggestions with members of the Airside D Steering Committee, a group of Airport employees from across departments who have been using their expertise to make decisions about how the project will proceed.

The visitors presented their ideas to the entire team at the end of the exercise, and then were free to continue discussions with staff members after the program ended.

The Airport is collecting all these comments and ideas for Airside D, which is currently at the 60 percent design stage. While not all the proposals can be implemented, the feedback will help inform the design process, which is scheduled to be finalized this December.

Wednesday’s meeting served as a gathering for travelers from Hillsborough County. There are two more public listening sessions in Tampa Bay-area counties:

• PINELLAS COUNTY, Thursday, July 24, 6-7:30 p.m. – EpiCenter at St. Petersburg College, 13805 58^th St. N., Clearwater
   
• PASCO COUNTY, Tuesday, July 29, 6-7:30 p.m. – Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel, 26000 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz

These sessions are free to the public and do not require an RSVP.

Airside D will be a state-of-the-art, 16-gate Airside terminal for international and domestic routes. The project is led by construction company Hensel Phelps, with Architecture and Engineering company HNTB Corporation, in association with Gensler. The design is currently scheduled to be finalized by the end of 2025, with Airside D scheduled to be open to the public in 2028.

For more information, check AirsideD.com and sign up for our monthly Airside D newsletter.

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As TPA nears completion of the future Airside D’s design phase, the Airport wants to hear directly from Tampa Bay travelers about what they want to see in the future Airside.

To make that possible, Tampa International Airport is hosting three public listening sessions during the month of July, with events planned for Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties.

The sessions will allow the community to share their thoughts on what they would prefer to see during their travel experience at Airside D, TPA’s first new Airside in nearly 20 years. The state-of-the-art, 16-gate Airside broke ground in December 2024 and will be home to both international and domestic flights when it opens to the public in late 2028.

Listening sessions will be held as follows:

• HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Wednesday, July 16, 6-7:30 p.m. – Tampa International Airport, Main Terminal Event Space, third floor between the shuttle stations for Airsides E and F; parking in the Economy Parking Garage will be validated
   
• PINELLAS COUNTY, Thursday, July 24, 6-7:30 p.m. – EpiCenter at St. Petersburg College, 13805 58^th St. N., Clearwater
   
• PASCO COUNTY, Tuesday, July 29, 6-7:30 p.m. – Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel, 26000 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz

No RSVP is required to attend any of these events.

“Airside D will be a transformative project for this region. That’s why we’re hosting these listening sessions — to ensure our community has a voice in shaping how this new terminal looks, feels and functions,” Tampa International Airport CEO Michael Stephens said. “These conversations are critical to understanding what Tampa Bay residents value most in their airport experience, and they will play a key role in shaping the final design and operation of Airside D.”

Attendees will see the most up-to-date information available on Airside D, including the latest renderings and construction schedule. After a presentation, attendees will participate in small group discussions to share their perspectives about the important issues that make traveling and the airport experience satisfying, safe and efficient.

Information from these sessions will be presented to the design-build team for consideration as they prepare the building’s final design. Complete plans are expected by the end of this year.

Airside D has a preliminary cost of $1.5 billion and is scheduled to open to the public in late 2028. It will help TPA, which currently serves an estimated 25 million passengers annually, accommodate the region’s growth and serve up to 35 million annual passengers by 2037.

For more information about the project, please go to www.AirsideD.com.

The vision for Tampa International Airport’s future Airside D came into sharper focus this week as new and more detailed renderings were shown at the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board of Directors meeting on Thursday.

The state-of-the-art, 16-gate Airside has reached the 60 percent design stage, and while the renderings are still a work in progress, they better define the experience international and domestic travelers may have when the building opens to the public. The design is currently scheduled to be finalized by the end of 2025.

To gather feedback about what the public would like to see in Airside D as the design phase moves forward, TPA will be hosting a series of listening sessions this summer, with events planned for Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties. The Airport will announce more details about those sessions on social media and AirsideD.com soon.

Design features visible in the interior and exterior renderings include:

• A look at the TSA security screening checkpoint
• A look at the mezzanine level, which will feature two airline lounges
• A bright and spacious international passenger processing area on the first floor, accessible directly from aircraft arriving from international destinations
• An open and airy terminal with innovative, dynamic video screens that will display moving images and animations 
• Glass boarding bridges to allow scenic views of the airfield as passengers board and exit aircraft
• Shopping and dining locations at the center of the Airside and in hold rooms, with 360-degree views of the gates and a soaring ceiling

Board members on Thursday approved an $81.5 million construction contract with Crisdel Group Inc. to redevelop the site that will be the home of Airside D. The contract includes a new concrete aircraft parking apron, drainage, airfield lighting and hydrant fuel system for each gate, among other needs.

TPA broke ground on Airside D in December 2024 and has been prepping the site for major construction by removing concrete, installing fencing and establishing contractor offices, among other enabling work. The concrete that has been removed will be recycled to help prepare the site for construction. 

Airside D has a preliminary cost of $1.5 billion and is scheduled to open to the public in late 2028. It will help TPA, which currently serves an estimated 25 million passengers annually, accommodate the region’s growth and serve up to 35 million annual passengers by 2037.

The images are courtesy of the design-build team for the project, led by construction company Hensel Phelps, with Architecture and Engineering company HNTB Corporation, in association with Gensler.

To sign up for our Airside D monthly newsletter and get more information about future business opportunities, click here.

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It’s a rocky start for Tampa International Airport’s future Airside D – but in a good way.

Looking out at the site of TPA’s first new Airside in nearly 20 years, visitors to the Airport can currently see mounds of broken concrete and rocks. Workers have been carefully removing more than 467,000 square feet of concrete apron formerly used as a space for aircraft to park overnight at TPA.

But that concrete isn’t heading to a landfill; almost all of it is in the process of being recycled to help build the new Airside.

Heavy equipment has been jackhammering the grid that outlines the new Airside. The big chunks of concrete that result are sorted and sifted to remove rebar, wire mesh and other debris, then crushed into smaller bits being piled up on the side of the worksite.

Those smaller rocks will be reused in several ways, including as gravel for the foundation of the new Airside and its drainage system, and as a base for construction and access roads being built around the worksite.

The process has been moving swiftly, with work starting March 31 and on track to wrap in the next couple of weeks.

This concrete demolition project was part of a $91 million enabling contract awarded by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board of Directors in December to kick off the onsite work, which also includes installing security fencing, establishing contractor offices and utility work, among other things.

At approximately 600,000 square feet, Airside D will be the largest Airside at TPA when it’s completed. The project has a preliminary cost of $1.5 billion and is scheduled to open to the public in 2028.

The facility is being built to the northwest of TPA’s Main Terminal, in space that once was the home of the original Airside D, which existed when the Airport opened in 1971. That outdated facility was closed and demolished in 2007.

The new Airside D is a centerpiece project of Phase 3 of TPA’s Master Plan, a blueprint for how the Airport will deal with projected traveler growth. The Airside will help TPA, which currently serves an estimated 25 million passengers annually, serve up to 35 million annual passengers by 2037.

To sign up for a new Airside D monthly newsletter and get more information about future business opportunities, click here.

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Tampa International Airport officials on Tuesday evening met with a crowd of about 150 business owners and representatives to discuss how to build working relationships as construction of the forthcoming Airside D progresses.

The public outreach meeting in the Main Terminal, called “Doing Business With TPA,” included a presentation with an overview of the $1.5 billion Airside D project and discussed future Concessions opportunities. The presentation also went over how to search for Airport solicitations by registering for the Procurement process used by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, and the process for businesses looking to be certified as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises. 

Smitha Radhakrishnan, TPA's Executive Vice President for Planning & Development and Maintenance, opened the presentation by calling attention to the Airport's economic contributions to the region.

"As a primary economic engine in the Tampa Bay area, TPA helps generate $11.3 billion in economic activity each year, part of the aviation industry’s total statewide impact of $336 billion," Radhakrishnan said. “All the activity at TPA supports more than 82,000 jobs across our area, with about 10,500 people employed directly by the Airport, its tenants and partners, which include almost 350 businesses and agencies. But more than that, TPA is a source of pride in our community, which recognizes that we are the first and last impression that many of our visitors have of our region.”

After the presentation, guests were invited to meet with department representatives to discuss specific questions about Concessions, Procurement, Business Diversity and the Airside D project. Some attendees said they had traveled from as far away as Atlanta and New York to learn more about the process.

Airside D will be a state-of-the-art, 16-gate Airside terminal for international and domestic routes. The project is led by construction company Hensel Phelps, with Architecture and Engineering company HNTB Corporation, in association with Gensler. The design is currently scheduled to be finalized by the end of 2025, with Airside D scheduled to be open to the public in 2028.

Doing Business With TPA is the first in a series of public outreach meetings that will be held concerning Airside D and related business opportunities. To be notified of the next public information sessions, check AirsideD.com and sign up for our monthly Airside D newsletter.

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Small business owners, vendors and community members interested in how to do business with Tampa International Airport will soon get a chance to learn the ropes at a special public information session.

On March 25, TPA will host a free presentation about business opportunities at the Airport and the future Airside D, which broke ground in December. The 16-gate Airside D is scheduled to open in 2028, with the groundwork for future contracts starting soon.

“Tampa International Airport is a primary economic engine for Tampa Bay, and offers a wide range of services necessary to provide a world-class experience for our travelers,” TPA CEO Joe Lopano said. “We want to give the public the opportunity to come and learn how they can be a part of the incredible team of partner businesses here at TPA.”

The meeting will include a presentation about Airside D, plus information about how to navigate the process to find out more about Airport contracts, including TPA’s Concessions program for retailers and restaurants.

Other topics will include how to register for and use TPA’s Procurement Portal to find opportunities at the Airport and more information on the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program.

Attendees will get the chance to ask specific questions and learn more at information tables after the presentation.

The information session will be from 6 to 7 p.m. on March 25 in TPA’s Main Terminal Event Space on Level 3, between the shuttles for Airsides E and F. No RSVP or reservations are required. Parking in the Economy Parking Garage will be validated.

For more information about Airside D, please go to www.AirsideD.com.

The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board of Directors on Monday approved a contract to select Delta Air Lines as the anchor tenant for Airside D.

The agreement recognizes Delta as the key airline committed to using gates in the new Airside, a $1.5 billion project that is TPA’s first new Airside in nearly 20 years. Scheduled to open in 2028, the Airside will be a state-of-the-art, 16-gate Airside terminal for international and domestic routes.

The contract outlines the anchor tenant’s commitment to occupy at least six gates in Airside D and operate a lounge space on the building’s Mezzanine level. Delta’s contract term lasts for up to 20 years.

“Delta has been a wonderful partner as one of Tampa International Airport’s longest operating and largest air carriers, and we’re thrilled to now extend that partnership to TPA’s future Airside D,” Airport CEO Joe Lopano said. “This agreement will bring a world-class airline to what will be a world-class facility for our international and domestic routes. We look forward to continuing the high standards and excellence of both TPA and Delta as we elevate the travel experience for our guests here in Tampa Bay.”

Delta currently operates out of six gates and a Delta Sky Club located on Airside E.

The airline is the longest-serving domestic airline at TPA, operating flights in and out of Tampa Bay for over 65 years. Offering the largest network at TPA, Delta serves 13 destinations and had an average of 36 departures per day in 2024. Over the past 10 years, Delta and its partners have carried almost 33 million domestic passengers and more than 1 million international passengers.

Delta continues to expand TPA’s footprint with new service. In October 2024, the airline launched nonstop service from Tampa to Amsterdam, its most served airport in Europe. This year, Delta will also introduce new nonstop service from Tampa Bay to Austin.

For more information about Airside D, please visit www.AirsideD.com

Tampa International Airport officials joined business and community leaders on Wednesday to officially break ground on Airside D, the first new Airside terminal at TPA in nearly 20 years.

With flags marking the enormous space the future terminal will fill on TPA’s airfield, guests at the momentous event were able to envision Airside D, which will accommodate the region’s rapid growth and anticipated increase in passengers and flights.

“This state-of-the-art Airside will help us continue our tradition of staying ahead of trends by adding 16 gates for both domestic and international flights at TPA,” Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano said. “It will also feature the latest technology for our passengers when it opens in 2028. We’re going to do it the Tampa way.”

Lopano was joined by several key officials involved with the project, including Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue; Tampa Mayor and Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board Member Jane Castor; TPA Executive Vice President of Planning & Development and Maintenance Smitha Radhakrishnan; and Hensel Phelps Regional Vice President for the Southeast Justin Starnes.

“The state of Florida has a nationally renowned, world-class transportation system and it’s because of partners like the TPA that we can truly say that,” Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue said. “Airside D is a shining example of how we lead in infrastructure and continue to build world-class facilities that support the growth of the state of Florida.”

The ceremony for the new Airside took place on the Airfield where the facility will be built, to the northwest of TPA’s Main Terminal. The space once was the home of the original Airside D, which existed when the Airport opened in 1971. That outdated facility was closed and demolished in 2007. Since then, the space has been used by airlines to park planes overnight.

Guests were treated to a dancing “flash mob” performance at the opening of the groundbreaking ceremony and were able to see a scale model of the future Airside and explore the building digitally with a virtual reality station in the tent. 

“This day is a monumental day not just for the city of Tampa, but for the entire Tampa Bay region,” Tampa Mayor and Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board Member Jane Castor said. “TPA is such a jewel in the crown of the Tampa Bay area, and it is something that every single traveler gets to experience.”

The new Airside D will feature two levels plus a mezzanine for 2 airline lounges, a bright and spacious international passenger arrival processing area on the first floor, glass boarding bridges to allow views of the airfield for travelers and new shopping and dining locations.

The facility is a centerpiece project of Phase 3 of TPA’s Master Plan, a blueprint for how the Airport will deal with projected traveler growth. The Airside will help TPA, which currently serves an estimated 25 million passengers annually, serve up to 35 million annual passengers by 2037.

”Make no mistake, this Airside will be all about the passenger journey and we are going to make it magnificent,” said Smitha Radhakrishnan, TPA’s Executive Vice President of Planning & Development and Maintenance. “As this project progresses, there are going to be several opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses to be part of this project, and that is a priority for TPA.”

At approximately 600,000 square feet, Airside D will be the largest Airside at TPA when it’s completed. The project has a preliminary cost of $1.5 billion and is scheduled to open to the public in 2028.

Earlier this month, new renderings showed Airside D at the 30 percent design stage. The images were provided by the design-build team for the project, led by construction company Hensel Phelps, with Architecture and Engineering company HNTB Corporation, in association with Gensler. The design is currently scheduled to be finalized by the end of 2025.

“Airside D is something that Hensel Phelps, HNTB, Gensler are all very passionate about and proud of, and we really hope that the entire Tampa Bay area will be as enthusiastic and support the new Airside D as much as they have the existing airport here today,” Hensel Phelps Southeast Region Vice President Justin Starnes said.

A $91-million enabling contract awarded by the HCAA Board at the December meeting will allow onsite work to begin at TPA. This includes installing security fencing around the perimeter of where the Airside will be built, concrete removal, establishing contractor offices and utility work, among other things.

To sign up for a new Airside D monthly newsletter and get more information about future business opportunities, click here.

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Tampa International Airport is sharing the latest look at its future Airside D with new renderings of the building, which were shown Thursday at the December Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board of Directors meeting.

The new renderings illustrate more detail of the state-of-the-art, 16-gate Airside, which has reached the 30 percent design stage. Details are still a work in progress, but the images give a clearer picture of what international and domestic travelers can expect when the Airside is complete. The design is currently scheduled to be finalized by the end of 2025.

Design features visible in the interior and exterior renderings include:

• Glass boarding bridges to allow views of the airfield as passengers board and exit aircraft
• Two levels plus a mezzanine for 2 airline lounges with views of the airfield and the bay
• A bright and spacious international passenger arrival processing area on the first floor, accessible directly from international flights
• Shopping and dining locations at the center of the Airside, with 360-degree views of the gates and a soaring ceiling

Board members on Thursday approved a $91 million enabling contract that will allow onsite work to begin at TPA, including installing security fencing around the perimeter of where the Airside will be built, concrete removal, establishing contractor offices and utility work, among other things.

TPA will break ground on Airside D on December 18. The project has a preliminary cost of $1.5 billion and is scheduled to open to the public in 2028.

The Airside will help TPA, which currently served an estimated 25 million passengers annually, accommodate the region’s growth and serve up to 35 million annual passengers by 2037.

The images are courtesy of the design-build team for the project, led by construction company Hensel Phelps, with Architecture and Engineering company HNTB Corporation, in association with Gensler.

To sign up for a new Airside D monthly newsletter and get more information about future business opportunities, click here.

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Tampa International Airport will receive $40 million from the Federal Aviation Administration to help fund construction of Airside D.

The award is part of the Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which Congress passed in 2021 to help update America’s transportation network, among other legislative priorities. TPA’s award is part of $970 million announced for projects at 125 airports around the United States.

TPA requested the money to put toward building Airside D’s boarding bridges and the guideway for the shuttle between the Airside and the Main Terminal. 

Airside D is a state-of-the-art, 16-gate Airside terminal that will serve as TPA’s International Arrivals and Departures facility, in addition to accommodating domestic flights. It will be the first new Airside at TPA in nearly 20 years.

“We’re immensely thankful for the support and partnerships of our government partners and the FAA in helping to fund Tampa International Airport’s first new airside terminal in nearly 20 years,” TPA CEO Joe Lopano said. “Airside D will be critical in accommodating the tourism, population and business growth we’re experiencing in the Tampa Bay region and beyond, and we’re looking forward to breaking ground on this project later this year.”

Airside D has a preliminary cost estimate of $1.5 billion and is scheduled to open to the public in 2028. The Airside will help TPA, which currently serves an estimated 25 million passengers annually, accommodate the region’s growth and serve up to 35 million annual passengers by 2037.

Groundbreaking for Airside D, which is currently in the design phase, is slated for December.

TPA last month received $5 million in infrastructure grants from the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP), a separate program to help fund airport projects like runways, taxiways, lighting, signage and more. Tampa Executive Airport also received a $2.45 million AIP grant plus another $813,000 in BIL funding this summer for a runway and ramp rehabilitation project.

For more information about Airside D, please visit AscendTPA.com.

Tampa International Airport is releasing new, full-color concept renderings of the design for Airside D, the Airport's first new Airside in almost 20 years.

The renderings of the 16-gate Airside, which will accommodate international and domestic flights, show both the building's interior and exterior. The images are courtesy of the design-build team for the project led by construction company Hensel Phelps, with architecture and engineering company HNTB, in association with Gensler.

Exterior images give a sense of place for the Airside, which will be northwest of TPA's Main Terminal and will feature ample natural light and views of the bay. The new renderings show the soaring ceilings, bright interiors, the International Arrivals corridor that wraps around the building and more. The design process is currently at 15%, so these images are subject to change as the design evolves.

Airside D has a preliminary cost estimate of $1.5 billion and is scheduled to open to the public in 2028. The Airside will help TPA, which currently serves an estimated 25 million passengers annually, accommodate the region’s growth and serve up to 35 million annual passengers by 2037.

Airside D’s design features include:

• Two levels plus a mezzanine for 2 airline lounges with views of the airfield and the bay
• International Passenger Arrival Processing Area on the first floor
• Shopping and dining locations at the center of the Airside, offering 360-degree views of the gates

To sign up for a new Airside D monthly newsletter and more information about future business opportunities, visit AscendTPA.com.

Click on an image below to enlarge or download it:

Airside D will help TPA, which currently serves an estimated 25 million passengers a year, accommodate the region’s growth and serve up to 35 million annual passengers by 2037.

The preliminary rendering of the new concept was developed this summer by the design-build team led by construction firm Hensel Phelps, and presented to the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board of Directors at their August meeting. It reflects a significant optimization of the shape and space planning of the original building concept introduced when the Board awarded Hensel Phelps the contract in 2023. 

“The design phase is an iterative process fueled by thorough research and analysis, and careful assessment of facility and operational needs in close collaboration with airline, Federal, and other partners,” said Smitha Radhakrishnan, TPA Executive Vice President of Planning & Development and Maintenance. “We want this facility to be the premium traveler experience that TPA guests expect while prioritizing fiscal responsibility every step of the way.”

The new Airside D concept will feature:

• Orthogonal shape for greater space and operational efficiency
• Two levels plus a mezzanine for 2 airline lounges with views of the airfield and the bay
• International Passenger Arrival Processing Area on the first floor
• Shuttle system and guideway
• Shopping and dining locations at the center of the Airside, offering 360-degree views of the gates
• Large open space featuring intuitive wayfinding and natural light

The team has been focusing on maintaining the convenience and customer service excellence that the Airport is known for and ensuring TPA’s first new airside in nearly 20 years celebrates the look and feel of the Tampa Bay region. 

At approximately 600,015 square feet, the building’s preliminary cost estimate at this stage of design is approximately $1.5 billion, which has been impacted by an increase in the scope, size, and complexity of the building and aircraft ramp area, global inflation, supply chain challenges, and labor cost increases. The project will be paid for with a combination of funding sources including Airport reserves, bonds, and grants.

TPA also launched a new webpage for the public to learn more information about the new Airside D and to register for business opportunities: www.AscendTPA.com. Final designs for Airside D will be completed in 2025. Groundbreaking and the early stages of construction (site-enabling work) will begin later this year, with Airside D opening to the public in 2028.

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ABOUT TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT:

Tampa International Airport is a major economic driver for the Tampa Bay region and is the gateway to the west coast of Florida. TPA is consistently ranked among the world’s most beloved airports, earning consecutive top industry awards for customer service excellence and honors by the Wall Street Journal, Condé Nast, and USA Today to name a few. America’s Favorite Airport has completed several projects in the largest construction program in its history with a major Main Terminal renovation, award-winning Blue Express Curbsides for faster passenger drop-off and pick-up, a nine-story office complex, and numerous public art installations, including a world-famous 21-foot-tall pink flamingo sculpture in the Main Terminal.

 ABOUT HENSEL PHELPS:

Colorado-based Hensel Phelps has worked on numerous projects at TPA. The firm has served as design-builder for the award-winning Blue Express Curbsides two years ago and their Red Side counterpart, which is currently under construction and due to be completed in 2025. Hensel Phelps also completed the Airport’s SkyCenter One Atrium and pedestrian bridge to the Rental Car Center in 2021.

Learn more at: HenselPhelps.com

Travelers passing through Tampa International Airport’s Airsides A and E may not be able to see the changes to their security screening checkpoints up close just yet, but the new spaces are literally just around the corner.

The simultaneous expansion project to add almost 20,000 feet to each checkpoint is running full speed ahead, with the framework for both additions now visible at each building – especially when taking the shuttle from the Main Terminal.

Work on structural steel supports and roofing is ongoing while crews run mechanical, electrical and plumbing lines inside the buildings. Sheathing and walls will start going up in August, with an eye on making the checkpoints weather-tight by September.

When complete, the project will expand the existing checkpoints from six to seven security lanes, with vastly larger queueing and screening space. Both Airsides A and E were designed and built prior to the creation of the Transportation Security Administration, and are in need of more room to process passengers.

The project is on schedule to open both checkpoints to the public in February 2025, with work slated to be completely done by early Summer.

Click an image below to enlarge or download it:

Leaders from Tampa International Airport and construction partners Hensel Phelps gathered on July 12 to celebrate entering the final year of work on the Airport’s current Main Terminal Curbside Expansion.

Executives and employees of the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority joined officials from the construction firm to sign one of the final steel beams that will be placed in the underlying structure of the Red Express Curbsides building.

This “topping out” ceremony is a major milestone in the project, which also includes and expanded third level in TPA’s Main Terminal and the shuttle station for the future Airside D.

The Red Express Curbsides will mirror the award-winning Blue Express Curbsides that opened in November 2021. The Express Curbsides allow travelers who are not checking bags and have electronic boarding passes to skip the Ticketing Level and head straight to their gate from the third level of the Main Terminal.

“We’re bringing that award-winning design to the Red Side, adding a matching set of Express Curbsides and growing our Main Terminal,” Airport CEO Joe Lopano said. “That’s all happening right now, right where you stand.”

Lopano thanked the team at TPA and Hensel Phelps and its parteners, plus the Airport Marriott, which has been adjacent to the project.

Construction on the Red Side first required the removal of the Airport’s 1970s-era Administration Building, then adding four new Arrivals lanes and four new Departures lanes, plus a new Express Curbsides building.

The event marked the final year of construction for Phase 2 of the Airport’s three-phase Master Plan, a blueprint for managing growth at TPA that was conceived in 2012. Other Phase 2 projects that have been completed include the Airport’s new Central Utility Plant and SkyCenter One office complex.  

The Main Terminal Curbside Expansion is scheduled to be completed in Summer 2025.

Phase 3 is the construction of the 16-gate Airside D, which is due to break ground later this year and open to the public in 2028.

The FAA-required study began more than two years ago to analyze the Airport’s development needs over the next twenty years. The MPU is now clear to be submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for final approval.

 The MPU is a roadmap for cohesive airport development based on extensive analysis of market data, passenger activity, and industry trends. TPA currently serves an estimated 25 million annual passengers, but is projected to serve 34.6 million annual passengers by 2037. 

“Tampa Bay is a thriving community that is growing by the day, and Tampa International Airport is growing right along with it,” said Smitha Radhakrishnan, the Airport’s Executive Vice President of Planning & Development and Maintenance. “Our team has done an excellent job of addressing the Airport’s needs in our Master Plan, and this update will continue our track record of successfully getting ahead of our region’s growth and delivering world-class facilities to our community and travelers for many years.”

 Among its most important findings, the 2022 MPU revalidated the need for the construction of the new Airside D, which breaks ground in late 2024 and is expected to open to the public in 2028. Other MPU recommendations include: 

• Expansion and modernization of the Ticketing Level in TPA’s Main Terminal
• Baggage Claim expansion
• Expanding the Employee Parking Lot north of the Main Terminal (approved in FY 2023 budget)
• Economy Parking Garage expansion
• Numerous runway and taxiway improvements
• Possible development sites for Advanced Air Mobility (electric-powered air taxis known as e-VTOLs) facilities on Airport property
• Designating the area north of the current Main Terminal and Airsides for potential future development 

Long-term estimates conclude that by 2042, TPA will serve nearly 39 million passengers per year. The MPU study found that to meet that future demand, the Airport will likely need up to 22 additional aircraft gates (includes 16 from the new Airside D), 83 additional ticketing counters, and three to four more Baggage Claim carousels. The MPU is only a guide and executing individual projects recommended in the study will require careful planning and Board approval.

Consulting firm Ricondo and Associates led TPA’s 2022 Master Plan Update. During the study, the Airport held several public outreach meetings to educate the community about the MPU’s progress, receive feedback and answer any questions. 

TPA will present the study recommendations to the Hillsborough County Planning Commission and the FAA this summer. The process concludes with the FAA creating TPA’s new Airport Layout Plan (ALP), which depicts the Airport’s existing facilities as well as planned development. TPA will launch its next Master Plan Update in five to seven years, as required by the FAA.

Travelers departing from Airsides A and E at Tampa International Airport will notice major progress on the security checkpoint expansion projects there.

At Airside E, construction crews have begun erecting the steel framework for the addition, using a crane to lift beams and columns into place after months of underlying foundation preparation to the area adjacent to existing checkpoint space. The same steel work is beginning at Airside A this week.

The structural steel will tie into the existing Airside buildings, both of which were designed and built prior to the creation of the Transportation Security Administration after 9/11. Airside A opened in 1995 and Airside E opened in 2002.

The additions will provide room for much more spacious and naturally lit TSA checkpoint space, addressing modern screening needs and ever-growing passenger traffic at TPA.

The Airport has modified shuttle operation frequency to manage passenger volumes at the checkpoint during construction. The end result will improve the passenger experience both entering and exiting each Airside.

Airside A will gain 20,560 square feet and will accommodate seven security screening lanes at the checkpoint, and nearly four times the pre-security queueing space.

Airside E will add 19,542 square feet, also with seven lanes and vastly more space for screening equipment and queueing passengers.

The steel structures will be erected for several weeks before the floors, walls and underlying utilities for the spaces are added later.

The project has a construction cost of $65.1 million and is being funded almost entirely with bonds and $525,000 in FDOT grants. The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board of Directors approved funding at its August 2023 meeting.

Boston-based design-build firm Suffolk Construction, in partnership with consulting firm AECOM, is working on both buildings, which are scheduled to be completed in summer 2025.

To enlarge or download an image, click on a thumbnail below:

The expansion at Tampa International Airport’s Main Terminal is gaining speed as construction of the Red Express Curbsides and other projects continues to advance.

While walls for the new Red Express building will be appearing soon, visitors to TPA can now see the Express Departures lanes appearing as a four-lane bridge on the Red Side. The Express Arrivals lanes will eventually run underneath the new bridge currently being built, with the completed Red Express Curbsides functioning the same as the award-winning Blue Express Curbsides on the opposite end of the Main Terminal.

The transfer level on the third floor of the Main Terminal continues to expand outward over the Red Express area. Holes have been cut into the third floor in what used to be retail and backroom space to make way for escalator banks that will connect the Red Express arrivals and departures levels.

Meanwhile, the shuttle platform for the future Airside D is being built out behind construction walls in the corridor leading to the Airport Marriott – the work is visible from the food court near Airside E. Eventually paneling and glass will enclose the expanded area, which will also include more retail and circulation space.

The Red Express Curbsides and Main Terminal expansion has progressed after the removal of the old, 1970s-era Administration Building, which was part of TPA’s original construction. Hillsborough County Aviation Authority leaders recently took a tour to survey recent developments, getting an up-close look at the new structures that are shaping up.

On the Main Terminal’s first floor, a portion of the Red Side Bag Claim has gotten a major refresh. The new lighting and ceiling tiles for Bag Claim belts 9, 10 and 11 have been installed, the first of six phases in the Bag Claim renovation.

While workers have moved on to other sections of the Bag Claim area during overnight work, this first phase shows how much brighter the Bag Claim area lighting will be after the project is finished in December. Installation of new LED signs for the bag belts is scheduled to begin in June and the carpet is due to be replaced in August.

Click on a thumbnail below to enlarge or download the image:

Travelers headed to pick up their checked luggage at TPA will soon see updates being made across the entire first floor of the Main Terminal.

The Bag Claim areas on both the Red and Blue Sides are getting refreshed, with new carpet, lighting, drop ceilings and updated LED signage on the baggage belts.

The work is being done to update the finishes and functionality on the first floor to make it brighter and more user-friendly. The ceiling system dates back to 1998 and is due to be replaced, and the carpet has been in use since 2008 and is seeing the effects of constant wear and tear.

The LED monitors on the baggage belt tips (the signs above the belts that identify them by number) are being upgraded to larger screens with higher resolution. The first example of the new signage has already been installed on Bag Claim 15 on the Red Side – the sign was replaced in November to test the new equipment. 

Travelers will notice work beginning on January 8.

Work crews will focus on the renovations in six phases, starting with Red Side baggage belts 9, 10 and 11 on the west side of the Main Terminal. The belts will be taken out of service overnight between midnight and 8 a.m. but will function during the day.

There also will be a partial lane closure on the Red Arrivals drive at doors 161 and 162 to assist with moving materials.

The entire refresh is scheduled to be finished by December 2024. The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board of Directors approved $18.4 million for the construction at its August meeting. DPR Construction is performing the work.

Tampa International Airport’s travelers are now able to get a good preview of the future as structures on the Main Terminal’s Red Side are rapidly progressing.

On the northwest side of the Main Terminal, construction on the Red Express Curbsides building is very visible, rising in place of the former 1970s-era Administration Building, which has been demolished.

All that remains of the old structure is an elevator core that will be removed as crews continue working in the space that once housed shops in the passageway to the Airport Marriott. Part of that work includes reconfiguring the space to accommodate escalator and stairway access to the floors being built below.

The Red Express Curbsides building will mirror the award-winning Blue Express Curbsides on the south side of the Main Terminal. Drilled-shaft foundations to support the new traffic lanes – four for Departures and four for Arrivals – are 90 percent complete, while the ramps for those lanes are currently being built. 

Steel beams also have been put in place to eventually house the connection to the future Airside D, which is currently in the design phase. The new airside is slated to provide 16 domestic and international gates, new lounge space, room for cutting-edge screening and security systems, modern restaurant and retail space and more.

The Red Express Curbsides and Main Terminal expansion are expected to be finished in Summer 2025. Airside D is scheduled to open in early 2028.

All of the projects are part of the Airport’s 2022 Master Plan Update, the blueprint the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority is using to manage growth at TPA over the next two decades. Go here to learn more about the plan.

The security checkpoints at Airsides A and E, both of which were designed and built prior to the security measures imposed by the Transportation Security Administration after 9/11, can sometimes be a bottleneck for TPA’s travelers.

These airsides have inadequate space for modern security checkpoint needs, which involve extensive screening for a substantially increasing number of travelers.

Now the Airside A and E checkpoints are getting a major overhaul, with the start of construction that will expand each facility by tens of thousands of square feet.

“For the last two decades, we’ve leveraged the original airside designs to their fullest,” said Matthew DeLoatche, TPA Senior Manager of Planning and Development. “But now, we’ve reached the point that annual passenger growth, and our commitment to providing the best passenger experience, dictate that these facilities grow as well.”

Airside A opened in 1995 and Airside E opened in 2002.

At Airside A, the passenger boarding level will expand by 20,560 square feet, directly southwest of the existing TSA checkpoint. This expansion will allow for a spacious, naturally lit checkpoint, accommodating seven security screening lanes and nearly four times the pre-security, queueing space.

Airside E will see a 19,542-square foot addition built to the south of the shuttle lobby, also boasting seven security screening lanes and ample pre-security, queueing space. The existing area currently occupied by the checkpoint will be partially reclaimed for the new checkpoint, with an expanded exit lane for arriving guests to reach the shuttles to the Main Terminal.

Boston-based design-build firm Suffolk Construction, in partnership with consulting firm AECOM, will work to enhance circulation, queueing, and screening in both buildings. Work is expected to be completed in summer 2025.

Travelers will sometimes see work in and around both checkpoints during that period, with barriers erected and some screening space being taken up by construction crews, but the disruptions should be minimal.

“We understand that security screening can often be one of the more stressful aspects of air travel. We also know that large-scale construction at airsides that are constantly in use comes with unique challenges,” DeLoatche said. “These new, expanded checkpoints will enhance the customer experience, and will be well worth the wait."

The project has a construction cost of $65.1 million and is being funded almost entirely with bonds and $525,000 in FDOT grants. The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board of Directors approved funding at its August 2023 meeting.

Click on an image in the gallery below to view it larger:

It’s out with the old and in with the new on the Red Side of TPA’s Main Terminal, as construction crews are working on several pieces of the Red Express Curbside building and the shuttle station for Airside D.

The demolition of the old 1970s-era Administration Building is almost complete, making room to build a new shear wall that will support the main structure of the shuttle station. The structural steel beams that will frame the station are scheduled for installation beginning in September.

The station will be on the third floor of the Main Terminal and include two tracks for automated people movers to take passengers out to the future 16-gate Airside D terminal. The shuttles, a signature feature of TPA’s hub-and-spoke design, will operate the same as the people movers that go to and from the existing airsides.

Eventually, the infrastructure for the station will serve as an anchor for the expanded third floor of the Main Terminal and the Red Express Curbsides building underneath it.

The Red Express Curbsides will mirror the functionality of the award-winning Blue Express Curbsides that opened in 2022, allowing passengers who have a boarding pass and aren’t checking luggage to bypass the Ticketing Level on the second floor.

And while the Administration Building is gone, the columns that ran through that structure and still support the Short Term Parking Garage remain and will become a part of the expansion.

The columns to the west side and under the hallway to the Marriott  have been reinforced as part of the project, and crews are currently finishing work to upgrade the columns on the northeast side.

Parking spaces blocked on the north side of the Short Term Garage as part of the column strengthening have been opening as work has progressed. The column strengthening is due to be completed in September. However, some other spaces will still be blocked, as demolition of the decommissioned Monorail on Levels 4 and 5 in the Garage is scheduled to continue until mid-2024.

Columns for the new Red Express Departures Bridge also are sprouting from the ground nearby. Workers installed drilled shafts for the foundations of the columns, which will hold up the roadway to the future second-story Departures roadway of the new Red Express Curbsides Building.

Inside the Main Terminal, crews are working to demolish the former shops in the Arcade area of the hallway to the Marriott. That space will be reconfigured and expanded to create new retail space and will incorporate the escalators and stairs for the Red Express Curbsides building.

The Red Express Curbsides and Main Terminal expansion are expected to be finished in Summer 2025. The new Airside D is scheduled to open in early 2028. The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board of Directors approved funding for the design phase of Airside D at its August meeting.

All of the projects are part of the Airport’s 2022 Master Plan Update, the blueprint the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority is using to manage growth at TPA over the next two decades. Go here to learn more about the plan.

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With plans for designing and constructing the future Airside D (pictured) now underway at America’s Favorite Airport, the public will have an opportunity to see how TPA proposes to accommodate passenger growth to meet the region’s needs for the next 20 years.

A July 25 public meeting at the Airport will showcase the progress and latest findings of the Airport’s 2022 Master Plan Update (MPU), which serves as a roadmap for achieving the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority’s (HCAA) vision for strategic improvements at TPA.

The Master Plan process is prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to analyze TPA’s overall capacity, operational and customer needs, as well as emerging industry trends.

The public meeting will be at 6 p.m. on the third floor of TPA’s Main Terminal, in the event space between the shuttle stations for Airsides E and F. Parking in the Airport’s Long Term Parking Garage will be free for meeting attendees.

“This public meeting is a chance for everyone in the Tampa Bay region to come out to the Airport and see what we have planned for the next two decades,” said Jeff Siddle, TPA Vice President of Planning and Development. “We’ve been implementing transformative changes at TPA over the last 10 years, and this Master Plan Update will serve as the blueprint for continued progress during our next evolution.”

Participants will see presentations from TPA CEO Joe Lopano and airport consultant Ricondo and Associates, which is leading the MPU process for TPA.  

The presentations will outline strategies and future construction that will enable the Airport to serve up to 39 million passengers per year, the number of people TPA projects will use the facility by 2042.

Plans include expanding the Main Terminal’s Baggage Claim areas to serve more passengers; renovating the second-floor Ticketing Level to improve and modernize the customer check-in experience; preparing to accommodate needs for what’s known as Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) – incorporating cutting-edge electric aircraft that can take off and land vertically like a helicopter, for short passenger flights and package deliveries; and many other improvements and technology upgrades.

TPA’s last full Master Plan launched in 2012, with an addendum completed in 2016. That Master Plan outlined a three-phase, multi-billion-dollar expansion, including the SkyConnect Automated People Mover system, the SkyCenter One office building, the award-winning Blue Express Lanes for faster passenger drop-off and pick-up, a state-of-the-art Rental Car Center, and more.

The most critical project approved as part of the update is the new Airside D, which will help the Airport meet future demand by allowing TPA to serve up to 34 million annual passengers once it’s open. Project completion is planned for late 2027, with the new airside expected to open to travelers in 2028.

The July 25 meeting is the last of three community outreach meetings the Airport is hosting to keep the public informed about the 2022 Master Plan Update process. The first was held on April 25, 2022, at Tampa International Airport, and the second was held in November at the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement in St. Petersburg. 

The upcoming July 25 meeting will also be offered virtually on Zoom. For the link to participate and more information about TPA’s 2022 Master Plan Update visit: https://www.tampaairport.com/master-plan/2022-update 

The next steps in Tampa International Airport’s planned expansion will soon head down a slightly narrower path.

As part of the construction for the forthcoming Red Express Curbsides and the Airport’s new Airside D shuttle station, crews will be blocking off portions of the walkway to the Airport Marriott hotel to begin major expansion work.

Visitors to the third floor of the Main Terminal will notice temporary walls that have gone up in the former Airport Arcade between Tech On-The-Go and the Sikorsky Elevators on the Red Side. Guests will still be able to walk to the Marriott via the lighted hallway.

The hotel is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year, and recently underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation of its meeting and event space.

In addition to connecting the third floor of the Main Terminal to the Marriott, the walkway to the hotel served as a gallery space for scale models that illustrated the Airport’s potential expansion plans. It also contained the Tony Jannus Award, which the Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society bestows annually to an individual for outstanding achievement in scheduled commercial aviation.

Those models, which were more than 10 years old, have been removed for cleaning and updating and will return in the coming weeks. The models and the trophy will be temporarily relocated to the second-floor space on the Ticketing level below the Main Terminal’s SkyConnect station.

The walls are scheduled to remain in place on the Red Side in some configuration until at least 2025. The areas blocked off by the barriers will change at times, and the hallway to the Marriot will eventually expand as phases of the work are completed.

“While the Airport began updating the Red Side of the Main Terminal last year, the biggest and best changes will be happening behind the scenes for now,” said Senior Manager of Construction Dan Seeley. “There are a lot of steps involved in this expansion, but most of our travelers likely won’t even notice the work being done until the improvements are ready for prime time.”

Demolition of the old, 1970s-era Administration Building will continue in the area below the walkway to make room for the new Red Express Curbsides, which will mirror the award-winning Blue Express Curbsides that opened in 2021.

Even bigger changes will eventually happen on the north side of the walkway, behind the Yeager Elevators.

The Main Terminal expansion will include the Airside D Shuttle Station, which will include two tracks for automated people movers to take passengers out to the future airside terminal. The shuttles, a signature feature of TPA’s Main Terminal/Airside design, will operate the same as the people movers that go to and from the existing airsides.

The Red Express Curbsides and Main Terminal expansion are expected to be finished in Summer 2025. The new Airside D is scheduled to open in early 2028.

All of the projects are part of the Airport’s 2022 Master Plan Update, the blueprint the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority is using to manage growth at TPA over the next two decades. Go here to learn more about the plan.

To see some renderings of what the completed expansion will look like, click on an image in the gallery below:

As TPA’s old Administration Building comes down on the Red Side of the Main Terminal, work is ramping up to prepare the existing structure for the Red Express Curbsides.

Airport staff vacated the building earlier this year to move into the new SkyCenter One office building at the south end of Airport property. The 1970s-era Administration Building is currently being demolished to make way for the new Curbsides, but the concrete support columns that ran through the building will remain.

The work is a complex process. Crews are installing temporary steel bracing to the columns while the Administration Building is removed. Workers will then expand the size of the existing columns with concrete to enable the construction of the new Red Express Curbsides building, which will function the same as the current Blue Express Curbsides that opened in 2021. 

In addition, a temporary lane change has been built into the Red Arrivals lanes to give construction crews room to build new ramps for the Curbsides.

The Red Express Curbsides are scheduled to open by Summer 2025.

The Main Terminal’s third floor will eventually expand over the new Red Express Curbsides building to hold the future shuttle station for Airside D. The new airside terminal is Phase 3 of the Airport’s 2022 Master Plan Update and is scheduled to open in 2028.  

Click an image below to see it at full size:

As Tampa International Airport looks to expand along with the region’s future growth, the public will get a chance this Wednesday to dive deeper into TPA’s plans to build its first new airside terminal in nearly 20 years.

The meeting is part of Tampa International Airport’s 2022 Master Plan Update, a process prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Florida Department of Transportation to analyze TPA’s overall capacity, operational and customer needs, as well as emerging industry trends. The most critical project approved as a part of the update is Airside D, which will help the Airport meet future demand by allowing TPA to serve up to 34 million annual passengers once completed in 2027.

Wednesday’s public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the ballroom of the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement at 355 4th Street North in St. Petersburg. Participants will see presentations from TPA CEO Joe Lopano and airport consultant Ricondo and Associates, which is leading the MPU process for TPA.  

Parking at the museum garage will be free for meeting attendees. 

TPA’s last full Master Plan launched in 2012, with an addendum completed in 2016. It was the backbone for the three-phase, multi-billion dollar expansion that followed, which included the SkyConnect Automated People Mover system, the new SkyCenter One office building, the award-winning Blue Express Curbside Lanes and more.

The Nov. 16 meeting in St. Petersburg is the second of three community outreach meetings the Airport is hosting to keep the public informed about the 2022 Master Plan Update process. The first was held on April 25 at Tampa International Airport. The third and final public meeting will take place in the spring of 2023. 

Wednesday’s meeting will also be offered virtually on Zoom.  This link will carry the meeting starting at 6 p.m.: https://tampaairport.zoom.us/j/87142810723

For more information about TPA’s 2022 Master Plan Update visit: https://www.tampaairport.com/master-plan/2022-update

Airside D highlights:

• Construction is expected to start in 2024 and be completed in 2027
• The new terminal will enable the Airport to serve an additional 13 million passengers by 2037
• Airside D’s 16 gates will serve domestic and international flights, bringing TPA’s total gates to 72
• The building will be about 563,000 square feet with vast concessions space, an outdoor terrace, state-of-the-art Customs and security facilities, as well as new screening, gate check-in and bag processing technologies

The Airside D project was originally slated to begin in 2021 but was delayed due to COVID-19. This will be the fifth airside terminal at TPA, the first new one in more than 17 years, and will be paid for with a mix of federal and state grants, and airport-issued bonds.

“Airside D will help us continue our tradition of staying ahead of trends and our region’s growth,” Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano said. “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.”

The Aviation Authority’s approved Capital and Operating Budget includes the following projections for Fiscal Year 2023, which runs from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023:

• Passengers: 23.4 million, a nearly 9% increase over FY22
• Revenues: $343.5 million, a $26.6 million increase over FY22
• Operating Expenses: $175.6 million, a $19.1 million increase over FY22
• Capital Program: 29 projects totaling $891.8 million

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 an FAA-required blueprint for development aimed at decongesting airport facilities and enabling future growth. Phases 1 and 2 included several major projects including the Main Terminal redevelopment, the Rental Car Center, SkyConnect Automated People Mover, roadway expansion, Central Utility Plant, the award-winning Blue Express Curbsides for passengers without checked luggage, and the new SkyCenter One office building.

To learn more about Tampa International Airport’s Master Plan, visit: https://www.tampaairport.com/MasterPlan

More than 200 builders, vendors, architects, engineers and members of the media packed the Airport’s first Airside D Outreach Event on Thursday, Aug. 18.

TPA CEO Joe Lopano welcomed attendees to the public program, aimed to educate design-build firms interested in working on the project. The Main Terminal Event Space on Level 3 was packed with onlookers and stakeholders curious about the planned construction, which is slated to begin in 2024. The new terminal is scheduled to open in late 2027 and will enable TPA to serve an additional 13 million annual passengers over the next 15 years.

TPA Vice President of Planning and Development Jeff Siddle led a presentation featuring renderings and an animated walkthrough of the 16-gate Airside D, which is projected to cost $787.4 million. The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board of Directors will vote on the proposed new terminal at its Sept. 8 meeting.

James Hanney, TPA Senior Purchasing Manager in Procurement, shared the bidding timeline with the group before an extended Q&A and networking session. The official solicitation will be released Oct. 12.

The proposed Airside D is a part of TPA's 2022 Master Plan Update. To see the Airside D Outreach Event presentation slides and other related documents, go here.

The event will be held on Thursday, Aug. 18, from 10 a.m. until noon at the Airport's Main Terminal Event Space, located on Level 3 near the F shuttle. Interested participants do not need to register or RSVP to attend.

The official solicitation will be released by TPA's Procurement Department on Oct. 12, 2022. To view current solicitation opportunities, visit the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority's e-Procurement Portal.

To learn more about the 2022 Master Plan Update, go www.TampaAirport.com/master-plan-update.

After completing the Blue Express Curbsides project last year, crews will begin preparations to build a Red Express Curbsides facility on the opposite side of the Airport. 

“This is a game changer,” said TPA Senior Manager of Construction Dan Seeley. “The efficiency of getting in and out of the airport is going to be so much more efficient.”

The project is designed to reduce congestion for both arriving and departing passengers while allowing those without checked baggage the ability to get picked up or dropped off, bypassing the ticketing or baggage claim levels. 

Before work can begin on the Red Express Curbsides, crews must first begin the process of demolishing the Airport’s 1970's-era, original administration building underneath the Short Term Parking Garage. 

“This is like doing heart surgery,” said Seeley. “There’s a building above you, there’s roadways on either side of you. There’s a Marriott Hotel. There’s an FAA Control Tower, there’s an active loading dock.”

The old Admin building is also part of the support structure for the parking garage, so before demolishing, crews must first put in temporary support beams to reinforce the garage before carefully removing the structure below and upgrading the remaining structural components. That part of the project is expected to take a full year before construction on the new expansion can begin. 

This week, visitors to Tampa International Airport will notice a new wall going up along the left side of the main red arrival and departure curbsides. The wall will separate traffic and passengers from the construction zone on the other side. 

Once demolition is complete, passengers can expect roadway work and shifting traffic patterns beginning next spring as construction of new ramps for the Red Express Curbsides gets underway.

Passengers can also expect some major changes in the Main Terminal as the hallway connecting to the Marriott Hotel is opened up to create a large open space, which will include three new pieces of public artwork and updated finishes to match the Express Blue Curbsides and Main Terminal.

The final piece will include a new shuttle station which will eventually connect to the planned Airside D, Tampa International Airport’s future 16-gate international and domestic airside terminal. That project, which is Phase 3 of the airport’s Master Plan, is in the budgeting process with construction planned to begin in the next few years and a completion date currently scheduled for late 2027.

Completion of the Red Express Curbsides and new Airside D Shuttle station in the Main Terminal is expected to be completed by summer of 2025. To learn more about the Master Plan Update, go to https://www.tampaairport.com/2022-master-plan-update

As part of an effort to mitigate these effects, the Airport on Thursday presented a plan to defer or delete roughly $900 million in projects over the next four to five years.

Of those projects, the most significant is the delayed construction of Airside D, which is the final phase of our Master Plan. The $690-million, 16-gate terminal for both domestic and international flights was originally scheduled to begin the design phase in March 2021 and be completed in 2024. Airside D will allow TPA to serve more than 34 million passengers annually.

TPA served more than 22 million passengers in 2019.

The dramatic reduction in passenger volume resulting from the COVID-19 crisis gives the Airport an opportunity to push back this project. The new plan calls for revisiting TPA’s passenger forecast in 2021, updating the Master Plan in 2022 and deferring the start of construction to 2025.

TPA’s three-phase Master Plan was designed to give the Airport the ability to build as passenger demand dictates, moving the project forward or backwards as needed, to adjust to unforeseen circumstances.

“It was a smart approach that is now serving us well as we recalibrate our budget and our expectations for the next few years,” said Airport CEO Joe Lopano. “We will very much see a need for Airside D in our future and we’re thankful we have the flexibility to build it when the time is right.”