Upgraded shuttles coming to TPA's Airside E
Modern cars and rebuilt guideways will replace the equipment originally installed in the 1990s, updating the passenger connection between the Airside and the Main Terminal.
Tampa International Airport will continue to upgrade its shuttles from the Main Terminal to the gates by beginning work on Airside E infrastructure this month.
The replacement of the Airside E shuttles will mirror the work currently being done at both Airside A and Airside C, and will include refurbishing the concrete guideways, or tracks, the shuttles use to roll to the passenger terminal.
Like those shuttles, the red and blue cars carrying travelers to and from Airside E have been in operation since the 1990s and have traveled more than a million miles, so they are due to be replaced.
The new cars will be a noticeable upgrade from the current vehicles. The Alstom APM 300R will be the third generation of shuttle car that TPA will use for its Airsides. Alstom is the same company that manufactured the original shuttles the Airport used starting in 1971.
Since thousands of passengers still need to travel to the Airside each day, this work will be done one side at a time before the new shuttle cars arrive. Airside E is scheduled to switch to a single-shuttle operation on March 24, when the blue shuttle will be taken out of service.
The first new Airside E shuttle cars are scheduled to arrive in December, with the second set coming in 2026.
A temporary canopy is being installed over the walkway between the red and blue shuttles. Should guests need to walk between the Airside and the Main Terminal in the event of an emergency or required maintenance on the operating shuttle, the canopy will cover the path and separate walkers from the shuttle guideways with safety mesh.
Customer service representatives will be stationed at both ends of the shuttles at peak travel times to help direct guests while shuttles are limited to a single lane. During those times, passengers may experience longer-than-normal delays getting to their gates and are always encouraged to arrive at the Airport two hours before departures.
Cars for the upcoming Airside D are next on the list. Airside F, which has the newest cars of all the airsides, is due to get new shuttles sometime in the future.
The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority approved the shuttle replacement project in October 2021. The total budget for replacing the cars, guideways and their controls and signaling systems at Airsides A, C and E was budgeted to cost $77.5 million. The work is being funded with bonds and state grants.
