Tampa International Airport

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Tampa International Airport
IATA: TPA - ICAO: KTPA
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Hillsborough County Aviation Authority
Serves Tampa, Florida
Elevation AMSL 26 ft (7.9 m)
Coordinates 27°58′31.7″N, 82°31′59.7″W
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
18R/36L 11,002 3,353 Concrete
18L/36R 8,300 2,530 Asphalt/Concrete
9/27 6,999 2,133 Asphalt/Concrete
Helipads
Number Size Surface
ft m
H1 100 30 Asphalt
FAA diagram of Tampa International Airport (TPA)
Enlarge
FAA diagram of Tampa International Airport (TPA)

Tampa International Airport (IATA: TPA, ICAO: KTPA) is a public airport located in Tampa, Florida in the United States, serving the Tampa Bay Area. The airport has been widely praised for its attractive architecture and hassle-free design.

Contents

[edit] History

Tampa Bay was the birthplace of commercial airline service. The St Petersburg Tampa Airboat Line began operations on New Year's day 1914 flying between the St. Petersburg's and Tampa's waterfronts. A Benoist Flying Boat flown by pioneer aviator Tony Jannus was used on the first flight. Unfortunately the airline ceased operations by the middle of the year.

In 1928 the city completed the 160-acre Drew Field six miles west of Downtown Tampa. A second more popular airport (Peter O. Knight) was opened on Davis Island near Downtown Tampa in 1935. The Knight Airport had a small but lovely Art-Deco Terminal that was constructed by the WPA. Both Eastern and National Airlines occupied the airport until 1946.

The government took over Drew Field during World War II and expanded and modernized the airport. It was during this period that the airport was renamed Drew Army Airbase and was used as a training center by 120,000 combat air crews.

After the hostilities, Eastern and National Airlines moved to Drew Field. The reason for the relocation was that the Peter O' Knight Airport was too small to handle the new Douglas DC-4, DC-6 and Lockheed Constellation prop-liners that were being placed into service. During this period the airlines were housed in the former Base Operations Building which was converted into a terminal.

Trans Canada Airlines inuagurated international flights in 1950 and Drew Field was renamed Tampa International Airport. The airport's second terminal opened in 1952 near the intersection of Columbus Drive and West Shore Blvd. The building, which was built for three airlines, was soon swamped. The Civil Aeronautics Board granted Capital, Delta, Northeast, Northwest and Trans World Airlines authority to fly to Tampa during the late 1950s and as a result created havoc at the little terminal. An annex was built east of the terminal to accommodate the new carriers.

Jet-powered operations began in 1959 when Eastern Air Lines introduced the Lockheed L-188 Electra. The following year National Airlines began turbojet service with the Douglas DC-8 jetliner. Flights to Mexico City began in 1961 with weekly service by Pan American.

Congestion became a serious problem at the 1952 Terminal when the airlines began to replace their piston powered equipment with larger jetliners. As a temporary measure the terminal was once again expanded to handle the growth in traffic.

During the early 1960s, the aviation authority began making plans to build a replacement terminal in an undeveloped site at the airport. Airport leaders chose the Landside/Airside design in 1965 after a careful study of different types of terminals.

Construction on the new terminal began in 1968 between the airport's parallel jet-capable runways. When completed in 1971 the new jetport was highly praised by the press. Prior to its official April 15 opening, 60,000 people toured the new facility during a two day open house event. National Airlines flight 36 from LAX was the first to arrive at the terminal. After touching down at 05:26 am the jet taxied to Airside E to disembark its passengers.

The 200-foot tall ATC Control Tower became operational in 1972 and at the time was the tallest in the United States. The Host/Marriott Airport Hotel with its revolving rooftop restaurant got plenty of attention when it opened its doors on December 1973.

Northwest and National Airlines brought the Jumbo Jet to the airport late in 1971 with the introduction of the Boeing 747 and McDonnell Douglas DC-10. This was followed by the introduction of the Lockheed Tristar a year later by Eastern Air Lines. National Airlines began trans Atlantic DC-10 service to Amsterdam and Paris in 1977.

During the following decades, the airport was expanded and improved to handle more traffic and additional airlines. New facilities included air cargo terminals, general aviation terminals and numerous airfield improvements. The Landside/Airside Terminal was expanded and its interiors were remodeled. New Airsides designed to handle larger airliners and more passengers replaced the four original structures. Both Delta Air Lines and US Airways opened maintenance bases at the airport to service their growing fleets.

The present terminal facilities are quickly reaching their design capacity of 20-million passengers a year. Improvements currently in progress will increase capacity to 25-million passengers a year. Sometime within the next ten years constructon will begin on a second Landside/Airside terminal that will occupy the site north of the existing facility. When completed both terminals and a fourth runway will allow the airport to serve over 50-million passengers a year.

A new runway is being planned (17-35) to increase capacity in fair-weather conditions and a second Landside Airside Terminal will be built in the 2010s. An economy parking garage is currently being constructed on the site of the present remote economy parking lot. Phase I provides an additional 3,400 parking spaces and was completed in November of 2005.[1] Phase II of the economy garage opened ahead of schedule in November 2005, bringing a total of 5,500 parking spaces in the economy garage.[2] Plans to start SunPass at TIA for it's parking garages and lots is expected to begin in spring 2007.

[edit] Terminal

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Tampa International Airport's Landside/Airside terminal was the first of its type in the world. There is a central "Landside Terminal" where baggage and ticketing functions take place. The Landside Terminal is surrounded by four Airside satellites where airliner embarkment and disembarkment occur. Each Airside is connected to the Landside Terminal via an elevated automated people mover (APM) system which employs 16 Bombardier CX-100 Shuttle Cars. TIA was the first airport in the world to deploy a fully automated people mover system and is host to Bombardier’s longest-running APM system. The terminal was originally designed to limit the walking distance between the automobile and airliner to 700 feet; today, it has increased to about 1,000 feet.

[edit] The color-coding system

Since its opening in 1971, TPA Airport has used a special color-coding system throughout its terminal complex. The Baggage Claim Areas and Ticket Counters are color coded Blue and Red. Airlines are assigned a color depending on their location within the Landside Terminal Building. The airlines found in the south side of the terminal are color coded Blue. The carriers located in the north side are color coded red.

[edit] The Landside Terminal

The Landside Terminal was designed with convienence in mind. Express elevators and escalators keep passenger traffic moving smoothly, with few bottlenecks.

Level 1 (Baggage Claim) contains all inbound baggage facilities and baggage belts. The Blue Rental Car facility was relocated from its crammed Bag Claim location, to a consolidated facility beneath the long term parking garage in 2002. On November 15, 2006; a new Red Rental Car facility and garage will open adjacent to the Marriott Hotel. [3]

A full-scale baggage claim renovation is planned for 2008/2009/2010.

Level 2 (Ticketing) contains all ticketing/check-in functions. The area received a major renovation/expansion in 2002 and may see another round of expansion in the 2010s due to increasing passenger traffic and future airline additions.

Level 3 (Transfer Level) includes the airside shuttle stations, and a shopping area known as the Airport Galleria. Along with the shopping facilities located adjacent to the main terminal in the Marriott Hotel, Tampa's airport has shopping facilities for everyone. While small with larger metropolitan airports, Tampa's facilities are almost entirely housed in the public access main terminal. The facilities are mostly operated and run by three airport retail companies - HMS Host, Stellar Partners, and Bay Area Concessions.

  • There are two food courts on level 3, operating on opposite sides of the building. The Galleria also features the most profitable TGI Fridays in the country, as well as some unexpected shopping attractions, such as the Ron Jon Surf Shop. there is also an outdoor smoking/observation patio located where the Airside B shuttle bay once stood.
  • Level 3 received a major renovation in 1997 and shuttle bay expansions in 1986 (for Airside F), 1994 (for Airside A), 2001 (for Airside E), and 2004 (for Airside C). Another bay expansion may come in 2007/2008/2009 for Airside D and a relocation in 2008/2009/2010 for Airside E (due to increasing congestion). A light rail station will also be added sometime in 2011.

[edit] Original Airsides

The original TPA airsides were designed in the mid 1960s as four identical facilities. The concept was later scrapped for unknown reasons and the facilities were eventually built around the requirements of their then primary tenant airlines. Thus creating the four facilities that stood from their opening in 1971 to 2000. Each airside building was three stories tall and included a minimun of ten gates, a cocktail lounge, snack bar, and gift shop. Each airside was maintained by the Airline in which it was built by. All of the facilities (except Airside B) were renovated in the early/mid 1990s but received no further modifications during their life span.

Below is a brief description of the four original airsides and the airlines that occupied them throughout the years. The bolded airlines indicate the primary (anchor) tenants for each facility.

[edit] Airside B - Gates 19-30

  • Airside B was an eleven/tweleve-gate facility that was designed by Eastern Airlines and was the first original airside to shut down. The closure was the direct result of Eastern's cessation of operations in the early 1990s. There were preliminary plans to renovate and revive the airside during the early 1990s, but efforts failed and planning for Airside A commenced immediately in 1992. The airside was not rebuilt due to a lack of overnight parking for aircraft, the facility's close proximity to one of TPA's runways, and the need for a separate automated baggage sorting facility for Airside A (since Airside A could not accommodate a built-in facility due to its pre-2001 construction).
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] Airside C - Gates 31-41

  • Airside C was an eleven-gate facility designed by Delta Air Lines. The facility originally housed a customs/immigration center for arriving Air Canada and Pan Am international flights. The center was closed in 1987 and a Delta Crown Room was added. The airside was renovated (and its shuttles replaced) in 1996 but never received any further modification. By the late 1990s, Delta's presence in Airside C was dramatically increasing, and so was the congestion and lack of gate space. The airline soon requested HCAA to build a new facility for them. Airside E was deemed inactive by 1997 and its future quickly went up in the air. In 1998, it was decided that Airside E be demolished and rebuilt for Delta. After a brief halt in construction due to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the new Airside E opened in 2002 and Delta immediately moved in. After much debate by the HCAA about whether to demolish or renovate the aging facility, Airside C was then slated for demolition and replacement in 2003.
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

(Midway Airlines) (Defunct) (Piedmont Airlines) (Defunct)

[edit] Airside D - Gates 46-55A

  • Airside D was the last of the original airsides to close. The facility was designed by Northwest Airlines and was originally without some jet-ways until government airline regulation ended in 1978. The airside was renovated in 1996 (and its original shuttles were replaced). Northwest moved to Airside A in 1999 and United moved to the rebuilt Airside E in 2002. Airside D closed in May 2005 and its remaining tenants (AirTran, JetBlue, and Spirit) were relocated to Airsides A and C. The facility will be demolished in 2007. The site will eventually be used for the Control Tower and Ground Radar relocation in preparation for the New North Terminal facility.
    This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] Airside E - Gates 61-70

  • The original Airside E was designed by National Airlines and boasted a slighty different layout from the other airsides. Its boarding gates were on the third level (as opposed to the second level in the other airsides). This was due to the fact that the facility was designed specifcally for the DC-10. Airside E occupied National until its demise and takeover by Pan Am. Pan Am in-turn, occupied the facility until its own demise. Thereafter, the facility was renovated (in 1991) and Continental became its final major tenant. The facility was closed in 1995 after Continental's new terminal (Airside A) opened. The airside was demolished in 2002 and replaced by its current facility.
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

(Allegheny Airlines) (defunct)

[edit] Current Airsides

Today, there are four active Airsides (A, C, E and F) with over 60 gates. All of the active airsides are modern, state-of-the-art, facilities; constructed after 1985. All the airsides include a food court and gift shop. They include outdoor smoking patios that are strategically placed. Again, a brief description of each airside and the airlines they occupy are listed below. Also listed, are the major cities/hubs that each airline serves from TPA.

[edit] Airside A - Gates 1-18

Airside A is a sixteen-gate facility that opened in May 1995 and was designed by Continental Airlines. The facility includes a commuter gate (on level 1-gate A-1) for Continental Connection and ten security screening lanes.

[edit] Airside B - Former Gates 19-30

Airside B was closed in 1991 and demolished in 2003. Today an overnight aircraft hardstand and an automated baggage sorting facility for Airside A sit on the airside's site. A light rail connection may be added around 2010-2015 if plans are successful.

[edit] Airside C - Gates 30-45

Airside C was the second airside to be demolished and rebuilt. The sixteen-gate facility was dedicated and opened to passengers on April 16, 2005 and was designed by Southwest Airlines, which controls a majority of the gates. Besides a food court and gift shop, Airside C includes the following:

  • Two gates and a future third level that could accommodate the Airbus A380.
  • A gate (Gate 45) and ground-level facility designed for charter flights. Tampa's sports teams will be able to take advantage of this feature while traveling out of TPA Airport, since players will be able to bypass the Landside Terminal, clear security and go directly to the plane.
  • A children's play area.
  • An outdoor smoking patio.
  • A built-in outbound baggage system.
  • Ten security screening lanes equipped with the latest screening machines.

The airlines that occupy Airside C are listed below:

  • Midwest Airlines (Kansas City, Milwaukee)
  • Southwest Airlines (Albany, Albuquerque, Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Birmingham (AL), Buffalo, Chicago-Midway, Columbus, Fort Lauderdale, Hartford, Houston-Hobby, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Long Island/Islip, Louisville, Manchester (NH), Nashville, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Providence, Raleigh/Durham, St. Louis, San Antonio, Washington-Dulles, West Palm Beach)
  • Spirit Airlines (Atlanta [starts December 15, 2006], Atlantic City, Cancun, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale)

[edit] Airside D - Former Gates 46-55

Airside D closed on May 15, 2005 after its final tenants (AirTran and JetBlue) moved to Airside A. The facility will be demolished in December 2006-May 2007 and eventually replaced by an 8-10 gate facility.

[edit] Airside E - Gates 62-75

Airside E was the first airside to be demolished and rebuilt. The fourteen-gate facility was designed by Delta Air Lines and was dedicated/opened to passengers on October 15, 2002. The airside's many amenities (besides the food court and gift shops) are as follows:

  • A children's play area.
  • A built-in outbound baggage system.
  • Ten security screening lanes.
  • A duty-free shop for Air Canada passengers.
  • Two airline lounges located on level 3 (the northern lounge occupies the Delta Crown Room).

The airlines that occupy Airside E are listed below:

[edit] Airside F - Gates 76-90

Airside F was dedicated/opened to passengers in November 1987 and was designed for international flights. The fourteen-gate facility includes two airline lounges (one of them occupied by US Airways' Club and a customs/immigration center (on level 1). The food court was expanded in 2000, and a major overhaul of the security screening and baggage facilities began in 2003. A baggage sorting facility opened beside the terminal in 2005 and a security screening area expansion is currently underway. Once all improvements are complete, the security screening area will be able to handle up to ten lanes.

[edit] Ground Operations

[edit] References

  1. ^ St. Petersburg Times, A New Day for Parking.
  2. ^ Tampa International Airport, Economy Garage - Phase II opens ahead of schedule!
  3. ^ Bay News 9, Bay Area Briefs.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../t/a/m/Tampa_International_Airport_bb3e.html"
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