TPA breaks passenger record in 2019, lands additional routes to London

We’re pretty fortunate to have an airport like Tampa International Airport in our backyard. The massive, state-of-the-art facility features public art, with a new installation by Nick Cave, amazing concessions (we always stop for a nibble at Colombia), and ample nonstop flights to top international destinations (i.e. Amsterdam).

Having said all that, it’s no surprise the airport is boasting another record-breaking year. TPA reports that they served 22,166,049 passengers in fiscal year 2019. That’s a 5.5% increase from last year.

“This has been an amazing year not just for Tampa International Airport, but the whole Tampa Bay area,” said Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano. “This growth speaks to the strength of our region and our market for both business and leisure travelers.”

Domestic passengers were up 4.8 percent, while international passenger traffic jumped 19.3 percent.

Since 2011, TPA’s international passenger traffic has increased 185.1 percent.

“The reach of these flights goes beyond just one city because many of these destinations offer a convenient connection to cities throughout Europe, Africa, Asia and really, almost anywhere in the world,” Lopano said. “And not only do these flights allow our residents to explore the world, but they bring visitors from across the globe to Tampa.”

Norwegian Air officially joined TPA with service to London’s Gatwick on Oct. 31 while Delta Air Lines added its first European route to Amsterdam on May 23. Norwegian’s service joins British Airways as the second nonstop service to London – the first time in Airport history that two airlines have served one European city.

TPA also experienced its busiest spring break to date, serving nearly 2.8 million passengers from March 5 to April 9 – a seven percent increase over the same period last year. During this time, 75 percent of passengers waited less than 10 minutes at TSA, including a day that saw more than 44,500 outbound passengers.

TPA broke ground on Phase 2 of its three-phase Master Plan expansion, which includes 16 express curbsides for passengers without checked luggage and a 35-acre commercial development around the Rental Car Center that will feature an office building, hotel, retail, a commercial curb for ground transportation and a new regional trail network.

Phase 3 of the expansion includes the construction of a new 16-gate Airside D for international and domestic flights.

The airport also announced that beginning in March 29, 2020, Norwegian will be flying THREE times a week starting as low as $600 round-trip.

Trips can be booked online here.