n92r03 From United States of America, joined Jan 2010, 251 posts, RR: 0 Posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 2568 times:
The debate will go on if TPA can/will attract any more profitable int'l service, but the article says there will be major renovations to Airside F which is now the oldest, to bring it up to date. Also says some new construction on the ramp to accommodate simultaneous wide bodies which IMHO is always a good thing.
ATLflyer From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 710 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 2445 times:
Good to hear... I flew out of TPA for Christmas and it was easy to navigate, extremely clean and comfortable. The concourses have plenty of huge windows and high ceilings to let that Florida sun in. Great airport...
jfklganyc From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 2664 posts, RR: 5 Reply 2, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 2305 times:
Why do Florida media refer to MCO and TPA as TIA and OIA?
Very weird. And in the case of MCO, you could build a following like LAX. It is unique and kinda cool.
The problem with TPA over the last 20 years is the growth of MCO. MCO has grown in leaps and bounds with both domestic and international traffic to accomodate the theme park growth. Remember, Universal didn't even exist until the early 90s.
If you have an intl carrier serving one airport, it is hard to get them to go to another close by. Yes, TPA is its own market, and is more of a city then Orlando, but it lives in the tourist shadow of Orlando.
phatfarmlines From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 1322 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 2198 times:
Quoting from the article:
By fall, the Edelweiss and British Airways flights will arrive within an hour of each other at Airside F — which also handles domestic carriers such as American Airlines and US Airways, along with Cayman Airways, SkyKing and WestJet.
The Edelweiss flight is a twice-a-week service. There are two large-capacity baggage belts underneath Airside F. This should suffice for now.
The renovations, subject to approval by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority board, would expand the international baggage claim area at Airside F and the security area upstairs.
The renovation is certainly needed at the security checkpoints. The airside has been mostly quiet in the past decade since US's big pulldown in TPA, but now growing again with WS & the int'l charter. This will also involve dismantling the former Gate F76 ramp, which previously led to the jetway when it was there, and converting to extra checkpoints & TSA offices.
The airport once had bigger plans: Move all international flights to a new $1 billion North Terminal by 2015. But those plans were shelved until at least 2023 because the economic downturn has decreased passenger counts over the past four years.
This proposed moving Customs/Immigration & int'l baggage claim to the landside via a walkway. I would have preferred a separate monorail partitioned from domestic travelelrs.
It's also good TPA is holding off on the North Terminal expansion for now. I think there is still opportunity to maximize space at the existing terminal. I still think Airside B should be re-built, and Airside A should have a baggage sort facility incorporated where the customs/immigration area would have been - it's just empty space now.
peanuts From Netherlands, joined Dec 2009, 1310 posts, RR: 4 Reply 4, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 2141 times:
A positive outlook is always good to have, however, be careful what you wish for. "More European carriers to TPA" may also mean giving BA reasons to call it a day, at some point. I wouldn't want to trade in BA for some charter operations...
With fuel prices going up once again, it's just less and less viable for flights like these. You can almost get to any major city on the planet from TPA on a single connection.
The improvements are needed though. But let's be realistic about landing more international flights at TPA.
Granted, it's a large metropolitan area including Clearwater, St. Petersburg and others, but it doesn't have the int'l travel mass MCO has. TPA is kinda stuck in the middle, sizewise (like PIT, STL, PHX etc.) but also geographically (MCO and MIA).
[Edited 2012-01-06 19:58:31]
Question Conventional Wisdom. While not all commonly held beliefs are wrong…all should be questioned.
bobnwa From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 5980 posts, RR: 9 Reply 5, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 1831 times:
Quoting jfklganyc (Reply 2): Why do Florida media refer to MCO and TPA as TIA and OIA?
Don't know about MCO, but most residents in the Tampa Bay area refer to TPA as TIA(Tampa International Airport)
moman From United States of America, joined Aug 2004, 1048 posts, RR: 4 Reply 6, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 1742 times:
Quoting phatfarmlines (Reply 3): It's also good TPA is holding off on the North Terminal expansion for now. I think there is still opportunity to maximize space at the existing terminal. I still think Airside B should be re-built, and Airside A should have a baggage sort facility incorporated where the customs/immigration area would have been - it's just empty space now.
Yes, and what a waste that the airport authority took the federal money to build roads and infrastructure for a North terminal that might never be needed. I suspect if it is built in 2025, the roads/etc will have to be redone or redesigned and the money spent will have been a waste.
There was a discussion on here before about redoing B, but HCAA is dead against it because they think the landside building is maxxed out. Speaking of which, the landside updates look great.
Quoting peanuts (Reply 4): Granted, it's a large metropolitan area including Clearwater, St. Petersburg and others, but it doesn't have the int'l travel mass MCO has. TPA is kinda stuck in the middle, sizewise (like PIT, STL, PHX etc.) but also geographically (MCO and MIA).
Exactly, I don't think there is that much additional demand for international flights. I would expect the BA flight to go to LHR if there was strong demand for connections overseas. Edelweiss will last just long enough to use the subsidies up. I believe the recent blowup over the lack of international flights was just posturing to push out Louis Miller, who landed on his feet managing the ATL airport.
TPA is a nice airport, a great one really. The whole area is better off not making it something that it is not, which is a large international airport. Better to spend the time and dollars chasing some LatAm/Caribbean flying (Cuba comes to mind).
b757capt From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 1236 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 1523 times:
Quoting moman (Reply 6): Yes, and what a waste that the airport authority took the federal money to build roads and infrastructure for a North terminal that might never be needed. I suspect if it is built in 2025, the roads/etc will have to be redone or redesigned and the money spent will have been a waste.
They took the money to build a taxiway bridge, where do you see new roads?
The views written by this user are in no manner the views of my employer and should not be thought as such.
slcdeltarumd11 From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 2456 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 1508 times:
For the same reason that everyone in the Denver area media included calls it DIA. Most people dont know the codes or care
727LOVER From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 5722 posts, RR: 20 Reply 9, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 1462 times:
GizmoNC From United States of America, joined Mar 2011, 274 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 1454 times:
Probably due fact they use appreviations TIA, Tampa International Airport and OIA , Orlando International Airport. If you are like me and have read many articles that journalist have posted about various airlines. They make some real big errors
I recently read an article about Piedmont where the author wrote that Pidemotn flew 50 seat reginal jets. I sent him an email since his email was posted and he actually replied to me that he researched and found out that the info was wrong and corrected his post.
phatfarmlines From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 1322 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 1372 times:
Quoting moman (Reply 6): There was a discussion on here before about redoing B, but HCAA is dead against it because they think the landside building is maxxed out.
Here is a link to the TPA Master Plan - Terminal Planning section from 2005 (caution: 37 MB / 277 pages - might take a moment to upload):
n92r03 From United States of America, joined Jan 2010, 251 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 1324 times:
Quoting moman (Reply 6): Yes, and what a waste that the airport authority took the federal money to build roads and infrastructure for a North terminal that might never be needed. I suspect if it is built in 2025, the roads/etc will have to be redone or redesigned and the money spent will have been a waste.
Not sure what you mean, I don't recall any new roads and the old cargo ramp is still there, just not used...are your referring to the employee parking area?
Quoting moman (Reply 6): TPA is a nice airport, a great one really. The whole area is better off not making it something that it is not, which is a large international airport. Better to spend the time and dollars chasing some LatAm/Caribbean flying (Cuba comes to mind).
As a local, I don't want to agree with you, but you are correct. Domestic growth is welcomed too.
moman From United States of America, joined Aug 2004, 1048 posts, RR: 4 Reply 13, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 1297 times:
Quoting n92r03 (Reply 12): Not sure what you mean, I don't recall any new roads and the old cargo ramp is still there, just not used...are your referring to the employee parking area?
As b757capt above stated, it's the entrance roads from Hillsborough Ave to the "future north terminal", which involved building a taxiway bridge over this road that is not needed today, is not in use today, and as such only the bridge would be needed if the north terminal complex is built.
n92r03 From United States of America, joined Jan 2010, 251 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 1254 times:
Quoting moman (Reply 13): it's the entrance roads from Hillsborough Ave
10-4. That bridge does go over the road that is used by the employees' busses. Not the best use of money IMHO, but I do remember a news "investigation" that made it a huge ordeal that the busses actually drove "on the tarmac next to jetliners"...
b757capt From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 1236 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 1166 times:
Quoting moman (Reply 13): As b757capt above stated, it's the entrance roads from Hillsborough Ave to the "future north terminal", which involved building a taxiway bridge over this road that is not needed today, is not in use today, and as such only the bridge would be needed if the north terminal complex is built.
Wait a second. The only "new" road built was not a road it was a taxiway bridge. It was built so that all non aircraft ramp traffic could pass without being in the line of an aircraft. This is the main entrance to Air Freight, employee parking, and PEMCO hangers from the actual center of the airport. This project was LONG over due. There is not a single part of this project sitting empty and waiting as it sounded above.
The International Terminal is dead and no work has been done for this area. This is the main reason why the old air freight facility is still in place and not demolished.
The views written by this user are in no manner the views of my employer and should not be thought as such.
STT757 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 16261 posts, RR: 52 Reply 16, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 1044 times:
Question, when did they build that new mall adjacent to the airport, Seems too close as it inhibits the ability of the airport to expand. Looks nice, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus etc..
727LOVER From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 5722 posts, RR: 20 Reply 17, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 1000 times:
Hmmmmmm....I want to say 9/10/11 years ago.....airport land if I recall.......well, at least the NFL team moved.
n92r03 From United States of America, joined Jan 2010, 251 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 835 times:
Quoting STT757 (Reply 16): when did they build that new mall adjacent to the airport
It opened the weekend just after 9/11/01, it was a golf course prior to that. It is the nicest in town but it is to the southeast of the airfield. Plenty of land has been bought that is east of the hangars (Drew Park area) that is in the master plan. Also, I *think* there is room on the west side for a third north/south runway. Driving along the Veteran's/60 it appears there are the same anchor pilings "ready" for the landing light structure, similar to the one that currently goes above the roadway for 1L.
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