With a new 16-gate terminal expected to open in 2028, Tampa International Airport (TPA) will welcome even more travelers within the next decades. According to Hillsborough County commissioner Harry Cohen (District 1), a future strategic partnership between Tampa International and the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport might be able to help handle increasing foot traffic.
This collaboration would involve a transportation connection between the airports. Potentially, utilizing the new $865 million Howard Frankland Bridge, which has a section for rail systems.
Cohen was hesitant to say what transit technology would be used as this project would take years to plan out. However, he suggested that it might be a train or bus.
“My guess is when we get to that point we’ll have options that we don’t have now,” he explained to the Catalyst.
As for what a partnership between the two airports would look like, Cohen said that models from other states could provide guidance.
“We could continue to expand Tampa International Airport or we could look to a model like Dallas Fort Worth International and Dallas Love Field, and O’Hare International and Chicago Midway International where you have a large principal international airport and then a smaller airport for regional, discount and short haul flights,” Cohen explained.
This would help both airports handle demand in the Tampa Bay region. TPA currently serves approximately 25 million passengers per year. Airport officials revealed in a 2022 master plan update that they are expected to have nearly 39 million travelers annually by 2042.
A partnership between the airports could correlate with building a transit system that allows individuals to travel between Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties, he said. This would help with traffic congestion and provide people with other options if they do not want to drive.
Infrastructure to support it is in the works. The Florida Department of Transportation is considering using the former DoubleTree by Hilton hotel property (West Cypress Street in Tampa), a recent acquisition, as a multimodal transportation hub, Cohen added.
Both Tampa International and St. Pete-Clearwater International could offer transportation from the hub, allowing passengers to travel between airports more effectively, he explained.
Florida East Coast Industries is also desirous of investing in the bay area with its high-speed Brightline rail line, and has proposed creating a Tampa station. The multimodal hub could be connected with the future Brightline station when it is built to make traveling even more convenient, Cohen said.
He believes that an airport partnership is key to a transit system between counties. “The airports tying into it are very very important.”
It’s all about preparing for the future, Cohen added. “This is not something that you can flick a switch and have it done tomorrow, but it’s something that we need to start thinking about and planning for.”
Representatives from both airports weighed in about a potential collaboration.
A spokesperson from the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport said that the airport is “always open to regional partnerships” and is “interested in expanding public transportation options.” However, it is currently focused on projects such as building a new parking garage and updating terminals.
Tampa International Airport officials prepared a statement for the Catalyst, which said that the airport “continues to explore and strengthen our regional partnerships and connections across the Tampa Bay region, including with our friends at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport.”
This content provided in partnership with StPeteCatalyst.com
