TPA named best large U.S. airport for second straight year in USA Today 10Best Awards
TPA also picked up the top spots in the Airport Dining and Airport Art categories.
The accolades keep rolling in for Tampa International Airport. For the second year in a row, TPA was named Best Large U.S. Airport in the USA Today 10Best awards. TPA outperformed other major airports, including Nashville (BNA), Denver (DEN), Orlando (MCO), and Salt Lake City (SLC), to secure the top spot. According to USA Today, airport nominations were curated by a panel of subject matter experts and 10Best editors before being put to a public vote, allowing readers to pick their favorite once per day. The final results were announced on Wednesday.
In addition to being recognized as the Best Large Airport, TPA was also awarded the title of Best Airport for Dining for the second year in a row. This recognition highlights TPA’s concessions program, which features an array of local favorites such as the Columbia Restaurant, Ulele, Goody Goody, Bavaro’s, and Café by Mise en Place. Two of TPA’s restaurants, Cigar City Brewing and Ulele, were nominated in the 10Best Awards, with Cigar City earning the #5 spot for Best Sit-Down Restaurant. Bavaro’s Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria also received recognition, ranking #7 for Best Airport Grab-and-Go Food.
For the first time, TPA has also been named the Best Airport for Art, surpassing competitors like Indianapolis (IND), Nashville (BNA), Denver (DEN), and San Diego (SAN). TPA’s public art program is often regarded as a benchmark for other airports, and this year, it served as the host airport for the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) Arts in Airports workshop. Notable works in TPA’s collection include “Home” by Matthew Mozotta, a 31-foot tall flamingo affectionately known as Phoebe, as well as “Copper Birds” by Roy Butler, located inside Airside A, “Final Boarding Call” by Christopher Still at Airside C, and “n + 1” by Ralph Helmick, displayed at the Airport’s SkyConnect station in the Main Terminal. Visitors to TPA can also discover “Palimpsest” by Nick Cave in the Airport's Rental Car Center and three new additions to the art collection near the new Red Express Curbsides: “Starfish Family | Dancing Algae” by Claudia Comte, “Cloud Ascent” by Jason Bruges, and “On Memory and Plants” by Janaina Tschäpe.
To view the full list of rankings in the USA Today 10Best Awards, click here.
