|
||||||||||||||||||||
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 and Tampa 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 inaugurated 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 227-foot tall ATC control tower became operational on July 15, 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 construction 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 by 2025.
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. Phase I of the economy parking garage was completed in November 2005. Phase II of the economy garage opened ahead of schedule in November 2005, bringing a total of 5,600 parking spaces. Plans to start SunPass at TIA for its parking garages and lots is expected to begin in spring 2007.
Tampa International Airport (IATA: TPA, ICAO: KTPA, FAA LID: TPA) is a public airport located six miles (10 km) west of the central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. This airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority.[1] It serves the Tampa Bay Area and has been widely praised for its attractive architecture and hassle-free design. The airport was known as Drew Field Municipal Airport until 1950. Tampa International Airport currently serves as a focus city for AirTran Airways and Southwest Airlines.
Tampa Bay was the birthplace of commercial airline service. [1] The St Petersburg Tampa Airboat Line began operations on New Year's day 1914 flying between the St. Petersburg and Tampa 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 inaugurated 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 227-foot tall ATC control tower became operational on July 15, 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. At this time, new runway is being planned (17-35) to increase capacity in fair-weather conditions. In addition, a second Landside Airside Terminal will be built to the north of the current facility in the 2010s (scheduled to be completed by the end of 2015), allowing the airport to serve over 50-million passengers a year by 2025. Phase I of the economy parking garage was completed in November 2005.[2] Phase II of the economy garage opened ahead of schedule in November 2005, bringing a total of 5,600 parking spaces.[3] Plans to start SunPass at TIA for its parking garages and lots is expected to begin in spring 2007.
Other future plans include the possible construction of a light rail link from the airport to downtown Tampa and the WestShore district [2], and construction of a bus transfer center on the airport property, allowing passengers to better connect to the number of proposed bus routes by both HART and PSTA [3].
Tampa International Airport's Landside/Airside terminal was the first of its type in the world.[citation needed] 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. TPA was the first airport in the world to deploy a fully automated, driverless people mover system and is host to Bombardier Transportation’s longest-running APM system ever in history. 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, due mostly in part to the larger, more modern airside buildings which have replaced the original, smaller structures. The future of the Airport is certain to see continued growth and success. Many plans have been set in motion to expand as the Tampa Bay area continues to thrive.
Airport Amenities
Airport conveniences, that are free of charge, include passenger paging, wireless internet access, cell phone waiting lot with flight information, first hour terminal parking, shuttle service from the economy garage, real-time flight information and travelers aid services. Other services include eateries located before passenger checkpoints, touch screen information kiosks, information about local events, outdoor smoking areas and more.
The logo
The logo repesents the blue waters of Tampa Bay with a jetliner flying into a downtown Tampa sunset. It is known as the "Spirit of Flight".
The color-coding system
Since its opening on April 15, 1971, Tampa International Airport has used a special color-coding system throughout the 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. The Long Term Parking Garage also uses a special color coding system. The four elevator cores have names and colors to make it easier for customers to remember where they've parked. Wright Brothers - Orange, Tony Jannus - Purple, Robert Goddard - Green and Charles Lindberg - Brown. The Economy Parking Garage is also split into two sections Purple and Yellow but the cores have no names.
The Landside Terminal
The Landside Terminal was designed with convenience 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 opened adjacent to the Marriott Hotel.[4]
A full-scale baggage claim renovation is planned for 2008/2009/2010.
Level 2 (Ticketing) contains all ticketing/check-in functions. The level also contains a Charter desk reserved for flights that do not normally utilize TPA. The Ticketing 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[citation needed].
Level 3 (Transfer Level) includes the airside shuttle stations and a shopping area known as the Airport Galleria. The airport Marriott Hotel is adjacent to the main terminal. 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 Friday's in the country[citation needed] and diverse shopping attractions, such as a Ron Jon Surf Shop. There is also an outdoor smoking/observation patio located where the Airside B shuttle bay once stood. Level 3 has undergone numerous major renovations. The main building was renovated in 1997. Shuttle bay expansions were constructed in 1986 for Airside F, 1994 for Airside A, 2001 for Airside E, and 2004 for Airside C. Future expansion plans include a relocation of the shuttle bay for Airside E by 2010, and, if the plans for a light rail system in the Tampa Bay area come to fruition, a light rail station will be constructed by 2015 at the current Observation Deck location. The airport also has plans on building a second terminal building just to the north of the existing complex.
Service building
When the airport opened its doors in 1971, the Service Building went into operation as well. It housed the very first Communications Center, Police dispatch, employee cafeteria and maintenance locker rooms. The building is located across from the Red Baggage and Ticketing levels. It was primarily intended to house mechanical equipment such as the chiller plant and electrical transformers. Since then it has been expanded to two levels which was in the original design in 1968. Today it houses the original facilities with the addition of offices, rental car counters, badging and a receptionist desk. The Police department/Lost & Found has a lobby on level two (ticketing level) for walk-in lost & found requests.
Levels 4-9 of the Landside Terminal Building house the short term parking garage. The garage was built with the airport complex in 1971 for added passenger convenience. Originally three levels, the garage was expanded in 1982 to six levels and contains 3,500 spaces.
Long term parking was originally a large lot sitting on what is today, the present-day long term parking garage. The garage was built in several phases from 1990 to 1997 after increased passenger traffic swamped the parking lot beyond capacity. A monorail (situated on Level Five of the garage) connects passengers to and from the short term parking garage (Level Five) and the Landside Terminal. The garage can hold a total of 7,400 spaces on six levels.
On November 1, 2005 phase I of the garage opened to the public and then on May 19, 2006 phase II opened. The garage is 5,600 spaces large and is divided into two color-coded sections - purple and gold (yellow). There is also a surface lot and overflow lot for use during the holidays. A free shuttle service takes passengers to the terminal drop-off twenty-four hours a day. Construction began in early 2008 on phase II which will be an exact copy of the first phase.
Cell phone waiting lot flight displayIn an effort to decrease congestion within the Landside Terminal, particularly the baggage claim areas, a cell phone waiting lot was built alongside one of the remote overflow lots. It includes a large four panel flight status board, showing up-to-the-minute arrival information. This allows awaiting family members and friends of arriving passengers to wait in their vehicles until the passenger calls. Then the arriving passenger(s) can be picked up curbside at the Landside Terminal without creating curbside congestion problems. The lot has portable bathrooms, WiFi, recorded CCTV surveillance and around-the-clock police patrols. Construction began in early 2008 to expand the cell phone waiting lot. A second flight display will be added and additional spaces opened.
Monorail
Monorail was installed in 1991 when the new long term parking garage was built and opened on December 16. It was the first of its kind in the world to include six driverless, electrically propelled cars that are completely computer controlled. The system was also the first to have active switches and it is monitored from the airport's communications center. There are four long term stations. Monorail circles the long term parking garage and connects to the short term garage via an elevated bridge to stop at four additional stations. Monorail is free to use and runs twenty-four hours a day except for a once-a-week maintenance shut-down in the overnight hours. Bombardier Transportation maintains the system by contract and the Aviation Authority owns it.
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. A brief description of each airside and the airlines they occupy are listed below, including the major cities/hubs that each airline serves from TPA.
Airside A - Gates 1-18 (1995-Present)
Airside A is a facility with sixteen narrowbody jet stands that opened on March 16, 1995 and was designed by Continental Airlines in anticipation of expanded operations from Tampa which never materialized. The facility includes a commuter gate (Gate A1) for Continental Connection and six security screening lanes. Widebody equipment can be handled at gates A4, A5, and A8 (with A6 and A7 blocked), but cannot accept international arrivals as the FIS station is located at Airside F. Presently, no carrier offers regularly-scheduled widebody flights into Airside A. Southwest Airlines used Airside A from the time they started service in Tampa in 1996 until Airside C, where they currently operate, was completed in 2005.
The facility features high ceilings, energy-efficient windows, ample seating areas, a children's play area, a business center in one of the former smoking lounges, a fast-food outlet, bar, restaurant, gift shop, and newsstand. Continental Airlines had planned to build an all-new Presidents Club in an unfinished mezzanine space on the third level, but this project was put on hold due to the industry downturn following September 11, 2001. The space remains undeveloped to this day. With the "CO" code appearing on roughly 60 daily departures, Tampa is generally regarded to be one of Continental's strongest markets in Florida, with an estimated 16.9% market share including regional affiliates (according to the 2005 revision of the TPA Master Plan).
Airside F was dedicated/opened to passengers on November 4, 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 increase in capacity from its present four lanes.
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 dissimilar facilities that stood from their opening in 1971 to 2000. Each airside building was three stories tall and included a minimum of ten gates, a cocktail lounge, snack bar, and gift shop. Each airside was maintained by the Airline in which it was built by until 1999. 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.
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.
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 was demolished in May 2007 and the site will eventually be used for the Control Tower and Ground Radar relocation in preparation for the New North Terminal facility. An 8-10 Gate replacement facility may be built down the road depending on capacity needs, but is not likely until 2020 or beyond.
The original Airside E was designed by National Airlines and boasted a slightly 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 specifically for the DC-10. The first level was open to allow tugs to drive right through. This was due to the airsides close proximity to the taxiway. 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.
